


Smile Because it Happened

by Switch842



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-09-25
Packaged: 2017-11-15 01:11:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switch842/pseuds/Switch842
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten years in the life of Blaine Anderson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile Because it Happened

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2012 Blaine Big Bang on [beyond_dapper](http://beyond-dapper.livejournal.com/).
> 
> Huge thanks to oddwritesstuff and itsmec for the betas and cheerleading and encouragement. I owe you guys big time for this one. And to himaryan for the [AMAZING art](http://himaryan.tumblr.com/post/32197266654/title-smile-because-it-happened)** that has been made to go with this story. Please, please go check it out and give him some love.
> 
> **The link to the original art seems to now be dead. However, you can see all the images with the fic embeded on the [Dreamwidth](https://bungalow-fic.dreamwidth.org/84859.html) posting.

**01**

_Blaine Anderson-Hummel is twenty-six years old._

The wedding reception was winding to a close and Blaine couldn't be happier with how the day had gone. It was beautiful, of course. With Kurt planning everything, how could it not? It had been tasteful and elegant and intimate and _fun_. It was everything a wedding should be. Blaine's heart had overflowed with the outpouring of love and support from their family and friends.

Blaine looked out over the dance floor and smiled as he saw his dad dancing with Carole and his mom with Burt. He was so glad his dad had finally come around. There was a time that Blaine wasn't sure that would happen. The first time Kurt had come over to visit, before they were even dating, his dad had taken one look and just turned around without saying anything. Blaine had been so embarrassed; he'd apologized to Kurt for days afterwards. Their first interaction after officially becoming boyfriends didn't go much better.

Then Blaine had moved to New York and his dad finally got a clue about how serious Blaine was about Kurt. His junior year in college, he and Kurt were trying to save their money as New York was a very expensive place to live, so they'd decided to stay in the city for the holidays. Blaine's parents had offered to buy him a plane ticket home, but as Kurt was not included in that offer, Blaine declined. In the end, their families had gathered in New York for the start of a new tradition.

Surprisingly, it had seemed the presence of Rachel's dads was just the thing needed to bring Phillip around to Blaine's side. Seeing a gay couple who had been together as long as they had who were just as loving and caring, but still argued like any other couple, only served to reinforce how normal and okay it was. Phillip had pulled Blaine aside after dinner for the first one on one conversation they had had in years.

"You seem really happy," he'd said.

"I am," Blaine had replied. "We are."

"Listen, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for how I've behaved the last few years. Your mother has been on my case about driving you away, and if I've ever made you feel unwelcome at home, I apologize." He had cleared his throat before he continued. "I was just so scared after the incident at the dance. I could have lost you and that would have been the worst possible thing to happen. But, I'm trying. I've started going to these meetings."

"PFLAG?" Blaine had asked.

"Yeah, and it's been a real eye-opener, I have to say. I know it's not a choice and that this is who you are. I'm not completely there yet, but I'm working on it."

Blaine had hurled himself at his dad, embracing him in a fierce hug. He may have been twenty years old, but he would always want his dad's approval.

"Thanks, Dad," he'd whispered.

And now, six years later, he and Kurt were married. Blaine laughed as Kurt's niece dragged him out on to the dance floor again.

"Let me know whenever you want one of your own."

"Excuse me?" Blaine asked, looking over to see Rachel standing next to him.

"Whenever you and Kurt want to have a baby, my eggs are yours," she said.

"What about Brody?"

"Well, we're not married. Yet. But he understands our relationship and respects that. He would never want to get in the way of your happiness. It's not a problem, Blaine."

"Well, thank you, Rachel. I'll let Kurt know."

"You're welcome," Rachel smiled. "I think you should go rescue your husband."

Blaine looked to see Kurt being accosted by Blaine's Great Aunt Lucinda. She was merciless and still hadn't quite managed to grasp that Kurt was one of the grooms at the wedding she was attending and kept trying to introduce Kurt to Blaine's cousin Lourdes.

"May I cut in?" Blaine said, sliding into place.

"Yes. Thank you," Kurt sighed.

"I'm so sorry about her," Blaine said.

"It's okay," Kurt laughed. "It's kind of funny, really. Trying to be set-up at my own wedding. I doubt there's many people that can say that's happened to them."

Blaine laughed and spun Kurt around the dance floor. Nothing was going to get him down tonight. Not even misguided attempts by his family to find his husband a nice girl to settle down with.

* * *

The last dance had been danced and it was finally time to bid their family and friends farewell and head off for their first night as husband and husband. In the morning, Blaine would be whisking Kurt off on the honeymoon of his dreams.

It had been surprisingly easy to get Kurt to hand over complete control of the honeymoon to Blaine. With everything Kurt was putting in to the wedding, he seemed more than happy to let Blaine handle that little piece of the puzzle. Blaine was, however, surprised he managed to keep it a secret for this long.

Rachel had agreed it was perfect when she caught Blaine looking at brochures. She had even gotten her dads to call in a favor with a couple friends of theirs.

"Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?" Kurt asked once they were safely tucked into their suite at the local hotel.

"Maybe, Mr. Anderson-Hummel," Blaine teased, placing a kiss behind Kurt's ear.

"You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

"Nope." Blaine tugged at the ends of Kurt's bowtie, letting the fabric float to the floor once it was undone.

Kurt just sighed and tilted his head back to give Blaine more room to work. He felt Blaine reach up and push Kurt's jacket off his shoulders, quickly followed by his vest, shirt, and undershirt.

"Always with the layers," Blaine whispered.

"Don't blame this one on me," Kurt replied, reaching out to undo Blaine's tux. "Weddings call for a certain sense of tradition and far be it from me to eschew such a thing. But you can't tell me you don't love it."

"I do," Blaine said with a hint of laughter. "It's like you're a present all wrapped up for me. Even topped off with a pretty bow."

"I think that's you that's usually topped with a bow," Kurt teased.

Blaine dropped to his knees to undo Kurt's belt pushing the pants to the floor. He placed a gentle kiss to Kurt's ankle as he removed his shoes and socks before helping him step out of his pants. Blaine leaned in, burying his face in Kurt's still covered crotch. The silk briefs were cool against Blaine's over-heated skin and the scent was warm and heady and made his mouth water in anticipation.

"Blaine, please," Kurt moaned.

Blaine stood and quickly shed their remaining clothes. Once they were both naked, he pulled Kurt into his arms, the contact of their naked skin making him weak in the knees. No matter how often they did this, it always took Blaine's breath away. The trust and love that Kurt gave in these intimate moments was one of the most humbling things Blaine had ever experienced.

Blaine grabbed the supplies as they tumbled onto the bed, laughing as their arms and legs became tangled. Blaine had to duck to avoid Kurt's elbow at one point.

"I love you," Blaine said, once he had his breath back.

"I love you, too," Kurt replied. "So much. You have no idea, Blaine."

Blaine could do nothing but kiss Kurt in response. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Kurt was his husband. He couldn't imagine life getting any better than this. He showered Kurt with all the love and tenderness that had overwhelmed him that day. He peppered Kurt's skin with gentle kisses, licking at that spot behind Kurt's ear that made his bones go loose.

"Blaine," Kurt moaned as he rutted up against him, grabbing hard on to Blaine's shoulder.

"I've got you," Blaine whispered. "I got you."

"Please."

Never one to be able to deny Kurt anything when he asked so nicely, Blaine continued kissing down Kurt's smooth skin, licking over his nipples and dipping into his belly button. Kurt's cock bumped against Blaine's chin and Blaine just couldn't resist. He sucked down Kurt's cock, swallowing around the tip as it bumped against the back of his throat. Kurt groaned in response and writhed on the sheets. Blaine always knew just what to do to get his blood pumping fast and hard.

Blaine wasn't content, though, to have Kurt writhing on the bed. He wanted Kurt to fall apart and be completely at his mercy. He pulled back a bit, licking at the tip of Kurt's cock before sucking on two of his fingers. He slid his fingers over Kurt's balls before reaching behind and stroking over Kurt's hole. 

"Oh my God," Kurt gasped as Blaine gently pressed the tip of one finger inside. 

Blaine was relentless. He came at Kurt from everywhere. His mouth on Kurt's cock, one hand reached up to play with Kurt's nipples as the other prepared Kurt for the final round. Time stood still as they became lost in each other. Blaine's hands wandered everywhere as he finally gave in to his desire and gently swiped his tongue over Kurt's entrance. They didn't do this often and it always made Blaine's head spin with want when they did.

"I can't… Blaine!" Kurt shouted as he came over Blaine's fingers and his ass spasming around Blaine's tongue.

Blaine kissed his way back up Kurt's body, cleaning the come as he went before feeding it to Kurt with his tongue. They made out lazily for a few minutes, Blaine's erection becoming a persistent ache between his legs.

"I'm going to fuck you now," he whispered in Kurt's ear.

He reached over for the lube, condoms no longer necessary between the two of them, and gently spread some over his cock before reaching down to prep Kurt some more.

"I'm ready," Kurt insisted. "Come on, Blaine, please."

"I don't know," Blaine whispered. "I do love when you beg."

"You want me to beg? I can beg," Kurt said with a grin .

"Give me your best."

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt moaned. "Please. You feel so good. I can't wait anymore. Fuck me, please."

How could Blaine resist?

He lined up and slowly pushed in, both of them groaning at the sensation. Blaine had to pause once he was fully situated, everything was coming to a head and he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold on.

"Blaine, move, please," Kurt whispered. 

Blaine did as Kurt asked, snapping his hips back and thrusting inside. The bed rocked from the force of the thrusts and Kurt reached up to brace himself against the headboard.

"Kurt," Blaine groaned. "You feel… Love you so much. Can't wait."

"Don't," Kurt said, stroking his hand through Blaine's sweat-soaked hair. "Don't hold back. Let me feel you."

Blaine grasped Kurt's hips hard enough to leave marks and just let go. His mouth latched on to the side of Kurt's neck, sucking in a bruise that Kurt would be sure to yell at him about tomorrow, but right now Blaine didn't care. Kurt was his _husband_ and life could only get better from here.

Blaine came, his orgasming tearing through him like a riptide. He poured everything into Kurt. His heart and soul were no longer belonged to him. They hadn't for awhile, if Blaine was honest with himself. They'd always belonged to Kurt, probably from that fateful day on the staircase at Dalton.

"Hey," Kurt whispered. "Hey, shh. Why are you crying?"

Blaine hadn't even realized he was. He gently pulled out of Kurt, hating the wince on Kurt's face and knowing he was the source of that pain. He rolled off to the side and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Kurt's face. He reached out and traced the graceful lines of Kurt's nose and cheeks and chin.

"I'm just… I'm happy," Blaine said. "I don't think there's really a word that exists to describe the utter joy and elation I'm feeling right now."

"Oh, Blaine."

"But it's not just that," Blaine continued. "I feel… content in a way that I don't think I ever have."

Kurt surged up, pressing his lips to Blaine's. "How do you keep getting more and more wonderful?" Kurt asked.

"It's a gift," Blaine joked.

"It's something, all right," Kurt agreed.

"Speaking of something," Blaine said, "Rachel offered to be the mother of our child should we ever want one."

"Well, yeah," Kurt said plainly.

"You're okay with that?"

"Come on, Blaine. Can you imagine how Rachel would react if we didn't ask her?"

"I guess that's true," Blaine said.

"Besides, between the three of us, that kid is destined to be the most talented kid ever."

"With the most fabulous wardrobe to top it off."

"I have been working on a children's line in secret," Kurt whispered.

"And that's why I love you," Blaine laughed.

"Just that one reason?"

"Kurt, if I listed off all the reasons why I loved you, we would be in this room for months."

"I can live with that," Kurt said.

"Ah, but if we never left, then we would miss the fabulous honeymoon I have planned."

"Which you still won't tell me about," Kurt whined.

"All in due time, my dear husband. All in due time."

* * *

In the morning, with their bags all packed, Blaine finally presented Kurt with their itinerary.

"Paris? London?" Kurt exclaimed.

Blaine nodded, happy that Kurt was excited with their plans. Kurt had been to those cities many times before, but it had always been for work and Blaine had never been able to go with him. He knew one day they would get to go and he was so happy that time was now.

"I can't wait to show you Paris, Blaine," Kurt said. "You're going to love it. What hotel are we staying at?"

"We're not," Blaine replied. "Rachel's dads have some friends who have an apartment in the city. They're letting us have the use of it for the week we're there. It's been totally remodeled with all the modern conveniences. It's just blocks from the metro and fantastic restaurants around every corner."

"It sounds fantastic," Kurt said, pulling Blaine in for a passionate kiss. "The shopping! Oh, Blaine the shopping we'll be able to do! I should have brought an extra suitcase."

"We can buy another bag while we're there if we need to. But we need to get going or we're going to miss our flight."

"Well, we can't have that!"

Kurt grabbed up their bags and dashed out of the hotel room before Blaine could blink. If dating Kurt Hummel had been a wild ride, Blaine couldn't wait to see what being married to him had in store.

* * *

**02**

_Blaine Anderson is nineteen years old._

He was sure this was what a breaking heart felt like. He thought things were going well. He had joined Kurt in New York like they had planned and things were good. They had ended up deciding not to live together Blaine's first year in New York. Even though they very much loved each other, it still felt like too much too soon. To be honest, Blaine was also a little worried that he would come to rely on Kurt too much and not make friends of his own. So, when the time came, adjusting to living together had been something of a process, but Blaine thought it was fine.

Then Kurt started pulling away. He would stay at work later than Blaine knew he needed to; he would find any excuse to be out of the apartment, he had errands to run or an article to research; and, either he was lying, or Kurt was developing a serious caffeine addiction.

Blaine, for his part, did everything he could to try and keep Kurt around. He cooked Kurt's favorite foods; he made sure the apartment was well kept; he was affectionate and made sure to tell Kurt he loved him every day. He wasn't sure when Kurt stopped saying it back.

Finally, Blaine had had enough. Kurt was out God knows where with God knows who doing God knows what and Blaine was going to wait for him to come home if it took all night.

Kurt finally stumbled into their apartment just after three in the morning. The door thudded open and Blaine heard Kurt giggle in response. Great. Kurt was drunk. Not really ideal, but maybe it would help Kurt drop his walls and just tell Blaine what was going on.

"Kurt," Blaine said as he walked into the hall.

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt said. "I didn't think you'd still be up." He blinked hard, trying to compose himself. He wasn't really that drunk, just a little tipsy and overtired. He'd been stressed and not sleeping well.

"I know. Come here, please," Blaine said, holding out his hand. He was relieved when Kurt took it and he directed them to the couch. "So, do you mind telling me what's going on?"

"Well, Simon got a small part in an off-off-off Broadway show, so we went out to celebrate. I think I had one too many daiquiris." Kurt bit his lips together to keep from laughing.

"I don't just mean tonight, Kurt," Blaine explained. "The past few months you've been distant and cold. You're never here and when you are I feel like you'd rather not be. We barely kiss anymore. I can't remember the last time we made love."

Blaine paused in his tirade as he watched Kurt react to his words. He saw tears begin to form and Kurt's hands were shaking.

"Just please," Blaine begged. "Don't you love me anymore?"

The question immediately sobered Kurt. How could Blaine possibly think Kurt didn't love him anymore? Had things really gotten that bad?

"Of course I do." Kurt surged forward and grabbed both of Blaine's hands in his. "I love you so much."

"Then what's going on?"

"I don’t know what you want me to say," Kurt admitted. He knew what was going on, from his perspective at least. But every time he thought about saying something or mentioning it to Blaine, it just sounded so stupid, so he didn't. He just… checked out.

"The truth," Blaine said. "If nothing else we are always completely honest with each other."

Kurt just shrugged and looked away. Blaine wanted to tear his hair out and yell or something, whatever he could to get a reaction out of Kurt. Anything would be better than the nothing he was getting now.

"Just give me something!" he finally exploded.

"I'm scared, okay?" Kurt yelled back.

"Scared? Of what?"

"Of us. All this," Kurt said.

Blaine was confused. They'd talked about this and their future so many times, so…

"What changed?" Blaine asked.

"I don't know," Kurt said. "My first year here, it was fine. So many of the people I met had left boyfriends and girlfriends behind, so it was easy to miss you and talk about you without feeling weird about it. But after a few months, like, everyone had broken up and they were moving forward. I still had you. I still talked about you all the time and everyone started teasing me about being an old, married guy. At first, it was easy enough to laugh off, and then you were _here_ , and it was great and we have this apartment, and isn't it all just too much?"

Blaine deflated a little at Kurt's admission. He'd had the same worries, of course. It was a little scary to know that the person you met when you were sixteen was the person you were going to be with for the rest of your life. On the other hand, there was also something comforting and amazing about that.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Blaine asked.

"I don't know," Kurt sniffed. "Every time I thought about saying something it always sounded like I wanted to break up with you and that's the last thing I want, I promise. So, I just… panicked, I guess."

"Can I tell you something?" Blaine said and Kurt nodded. "I've had similar thoughts myself. It is scary and overwhelming knowing that I have no doubts about spending the rest of my life with you. But you know what else?"

"What?"

"It's really exciting, too. Because you're not just my boyfriend and partner, you're my best friend. And knowing that you'll be with me through all the crazy ups and downs that life is going to throw our way makes me really happy. Because I know that whatever it is, we can face it together."

Kurt lunged across the couch and into Blaine's arms.

"I love you, so much," he said. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"I love you, too. We're okay, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we're okay."

"Good. Just talk to me, okay? We'll always be okay as long as we do that. No matter how small or silly you think it might be, I promise I'll listen."

"Okay," Kurt nodded. "I really am sorry, you know. I didn't meant to scare you like that."

"I know. Just don't do it again," Blaine said.

"I won't," Kurt promised. "I won't."

* * *

The next morning, Blaine was finishing up breakfast as Kurt showered. He was just plating the last of the pancakes when Kurt joined him in the kitchen.

"Good morning," he said, giving Blaine a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good morning. Busy day?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah," Kurt sighed. "We need to finish the breakdowns for the Fall Runways and Isabelle has been wanting me to put together a special feature on color trends for fall."

"That's sounds great. It's nice that she's giving you so much--" Blaine paused as he the light caught something glinting on Kurt's finger. "Is that…?"

"Mm hmm," Kurt said around his mouthful of coffee.

"I can't believe you still have that stupid promise ring."

"It's not stupid," Kurt said. "It's the most precious thing anyone has ever given me, and I just thought after last night, it might be a good thing to remind me of what I almost lost. And since you noticed that, I guess I can give you this now."

Kurt pulled a ring box out of his pocket and set it on the table by Blaine's plate. Blaine opened it and gasped at what he saw. There was a thick silver band covered in intricate scrollwork nestled in the blue velvet. He pulled it out and saw writing on the inside. When he tilted it to the light he saw it read "K ♥ B".

"Did you?"

"I found it in an antique shop in Chelsea a couple years ago," Kurt explained. "It was a few months after I finally moved out here and Rachel wanted a break from her insane dance instructor, so we just went wandering one Saturday morning. She pulled me into this shop and I had started looking at the brooches and jewelry they had. I saw the inscription on the ring and knew I had to buy it. I've wanted to give it to you a hundred different times, but my nerves always got the better of me."

"Are you?"

"Not yet," Kurt interjected as he moved to sit next to Blaine. "I just wanted to make you some promises that you made to me once upon a time. I promise to always be yours as long as you'll have me. I promise to love you always. I promise to always mend your shirts and sew on your missing buttons. I promise to always give you fashion advice, whether you want it or not. I promise to always hold your hand and kiss away your sad days. And I promise to always talk to you. About everything, no matter how small or meaningless it may seem."

Blaine surged out of his chair, crushing his lips against Kurt's. He was a little off the mark and caught the corner of his mouth, but Kurt tilted his head just so and got them back in line.

"I love you so much," he said as he pulled back.

"I love you, too."

Kurt sat there smiling stupidly at Blaine. Blaine who was wonderful and perfect and amazing and goofy and honest and compassionate and Kurt would never get over the fact that Blaine had chosen him. He could have had his pick of any number of guys, and Kurt knew a fair number of guys who were lining up on the highly off-chance they ever broke up, and still Blaine stuck with him. Through all his moods and bitchiness and complaining, Blaine was still here.

Kurt had no plans of ever letting him go.

* * *

The next few months flew by for the two of them and before they knew it, it was December. Blaine had his last final the Thursday before Christmas and Kurt was putting the finishing touches on his last assignment before they flew back to Ohio to spend the holiday with their families.

Blaine got back to the apartment first and started packing. They had an early flight in the morning and he wanted to make sure he didn't forget anything. Like underwear. Again. He was looking through the closet, trying to figure out what shirts would be festive enough without looking like wrapping paper threw up all over him. He had just gotten a new plaid bowtie that would look nice with his black shirt and red pants. Kurt couldn't complain too much about that. It was Christmas after all.

Once the clothes were sorted he double checked that he had his underwear and socks and pajamas. He was looking through his drawer one last time when a small box caught his eye. He pulled it out to look at it for the hundredth time. Unlike, the last time, this was actually an engagement ring. It was black titanium, just a few millimeters wide with a matte finish and two small channels etched into the surface. It was simple and elegant and Blaine thought the black would look amazing against Kurt's pale skin.

He knew it was probably sudden and a little crazy, but on the other hand it wasn't. He knew he wanted to marry Kurt; he knew Kurt wanted to marry him. Just because they got engaged didn't mean they had to get married right away. They could still wait a few years until Blaine was done with school and Kurt was a little more settled at work or back at school, if that's what he wanted.

Besides, Blaine knew Kurt and he knew that Kurt would need at least two years to plan every last detail of their wedding down to perfection. Would he want a spring or fall wedding? The flowers blooming in the spring could be really lovely if they had it in Central Park, but there was also the allure of the changing leaves. Maybe a Valentine's Day wedding? No, that was too cliché. 

"I am so glad today is finally over. I so need a vacation. Even if it is to Ohio."

Blaine had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Kurt come in and now he was caught red-handed. He was just standing there like an idiot, the stupid box open in his hands as Kurt came traipsing into the bedroom and flopped down on the bed his eyes closed against the bright lights.

"Have you started packing already? I can't believe I haven't started packing yet. I should get started now if I want any chance of getting sleep tonight," Kurt rambled. "Blaine?"

Kurt sat up to make sure Blaine was actually home and he wasn't just rambling to himself like he had done before. When he saw what Blaine was holding, his eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open.

"Blaine?" he asked.

"I wanted to do this in front of our families," Blaine said. "But when has anything ever gone the way we planned it, huh?"

He gracefully dropped to one knee and held the ring out to Kurt.

"So, Kurt Hummel, will you make me the happiest man on Earth by being my husband?"

"Yes," Kurt whispered. "Of course yes, Blaine."

Blaine slipped the ring on Kurt's finger before kissing him and hugging him close.

"But, I don't understand," Kurt said as they pulled back. "I thought you wanted to wait?"

"I do," Blaine said. "I guess that just because we might wait a couple years to get married that doesn't mean we can't make it official. And, I want to marry you, Kurt. More than anything in the world, I just want to be your husband."

"Shut up," Kurt said as he pulled Blaine back to him. "I love you, you idiot and I want the same thing. So much, you wouldn't even believe it."

"I think I have some idea," Blaine said kissing Kurt one more time, before bending over and kissing his finger where the ring sat.

They were going to get married. Merry Christmas, indeed.

* * *

Of course, Burt noticed as soon Kurt stepped foot in the house. He immediately pulled Kurt and then Blaine into a hug. Carole came out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about.

"My kid's gettin' married!" Burt yelled.

Then there were more hugs and a talk about how even though they were engaged the wedding was still a ways off.

"That's all right with me," Burt said. "You two take your time and do it right."

"We will," Kurt assured them.

Blaine and Kurt smiled at each other, their love evident in their eyes. Burt knew that if anyone would make it, they would.

* * *

**03**

_Blaine Anderson is fourteen years old. Today._

He was having a small party at his house, less than ten kids. It was just his closest friends from his music and theater classes at Westerville Central High School and a couple of kids he knew from his piano lessons. A few of their parents that Blaine's mom and dad were friendly with were also included. There was a mix of boys and girls, though no one Blaine really liked in _that way_.

"What about Therese?" his dad asked as they finished setting up the extra chairs on the patio. "She's cute and you seem to have a lot in common."

Therese was indeed very pretty with her long black hair, warm, brown eyes, and bright smile, and she and Blaine did have a lot in common. However, she was not exactly what Blaine would describe as his type. No, his type was more closely resembled in Therese's older brother – Wes.

Yes, Blaine was gay. He'd known for almost a year and a half now, ever since that day in the library with Julie. He'd kept it to himself, though, still unsure of how his family and friends might react. Lately, though, his father had been hinting at Blaine's lack of girlfriends and how by the time Cooper was Blaine's age he'd had at least three or four. Blaine had brushed off his father's questions by insisting that his classes kept him too busy for a girlfriend.

However, it seemed that maybe now was the time to share his secret. He had just started high school and he really wanted to be open and honest about who he was.

"Dad," Blaine said quietly. "There's something I need to tell you. You and Mom both, actually."

"Now?" his dad asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay. I think your mother is in the kitchen finishing the last of the food. Let's go see if she needs a hand."

They did indeed find Blaine's mom in the kitchen. She was just putting the finishing touches on the cupcakes, so Blaine and his dad took seats on the stools at the island while she finished.

"Leona," Blaine's dad said. "Blaine has something he needs to tell us."

"All right. What is it, sweetie?" his mom asked.

Blaine took a deep breath and reached out to needlessly rearrange the cucumber slices on the platter in front of him. He'd been thinking of how he wanted to say this once the moment was here, but now that the time was upon him, Blaine was finding himself speechless. He finally figured that it would be best to do it like a Band-Aid.

"I'm gay," he said.

His eyes were still fixed on the platter so he had no idea how his parents were reacting. He kept his head down until he heard his father stand up and leave the room. His mom's hand reached out to cover his as he deflated.

"Just give him some time," she said.

Blaine nodded; he didn't trust his voice at the moment. He knew this was a bomb to drop out of nowhere. Still, he couldn't help feeling like he had somehow disappointed his father.

* * *

A few hours later, the party was well underway and Blaine's dad still hadn't come out of hiding. He'd been locked in his office since storming out of the kitchen and Blaine and his mom were doing their best to wave off questions of where he was. Blaine finally figured that since he was the one who had made his dad angry or whatever, he should try to fix it. His friends were all engaged in various games out in the backyard. No one would miss him for a few minutes, so he snuck off and quietly knocked on his dad's office door.

"Come in," came the sharp reply.

Blaine quickly entered the office, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Oh. Blaine."

"Hi, Dad."

"How's the party?"

"It's fine," Blaine replied. "Mr. Tompkins was asking for you. Something about getting in one more round of golf before the weather gets too cold, I think."

"Okay. Thank you. I'll be out in a little bit."

"Dad? I just… I wanted to apologize," Blaine said. "Not for who I am or anything, but for how I told you, I guess. I probably could have chosen a better time for telling you that."

Blaine's dad put down the papers he had been staring at and finally looked up at Blaine. "I don't understand, Blaine. Did we do something wrong?"

"Why would you think you did something wrong?" Blaine asked.

"Because I didn't raise you to be gay!" he shouted.

Blaine recoiled at his dad's tone, slightly afraid for a moment that something worse than words was coming.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay," Blaine said. "But Dad, my being gay doesn't have anything to do with what you and Mom did or didn't do. That's not how it works. I just am gay. I've always been this way."

"But Cooper's not gay."

"No, he's not," Blaine said hesitantly.

"But you like all the same things – theater and acting, but he's not gay."

Blaine sighed. It seemed that this was going to be harder than he expected. He was suddenly much more thankful for that day in the library.

"Dad, liking theater and musicals, has nothing to do with being gay or not. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm the only gay person that's part of the Westerville Community Theater."

Blaine's dad just stared at him for a moment. Blaine had never felt so scrutinized in his life.

"I'm still me, Dad. I'm still your son."

"I know," his dad sighed. "Thank you for talking to me. I promise I'll be out in a little bit and we can do your cake and presents and all that. Okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said with a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

It wasn't much, but it was a start. Maybe.

* * *

Later that evening, after the party was long over, Blaine picked up the phone and dialed a number he hadn't called in a long time. It rang three times before it was picked up.

"Go for Coop."

"Hi, Cooper," Blaine said.

"Blainers! Hey, Squirt, happy birthday! I was gonna call earlier, but I had an audition."

"How'd it go?"

"I think I've really got a shot at this one," Cooper said. "The part is totally up my alley. The sides asked for a charming, leading man quality who can sing and dance. The company is looking for a new spokesman for a national campaign! There's going to be TV commercials and radio spots and print ads. They're going all out with it."

"That sounds great, Cooper."

"Thanks! I really think this is going to be my big break," he said.

"Listen, um, there's something I need to tell you," Blaine said.

"What's up?"

"I'm, um, I'm gay."

"Okay. And?" Cooper asked.

"And, well, that's it?"

"I gotta say, Blaine, it's not that big a surprise."

"You knew?"

"Well, I wasn't absolutely positive or anything, but when we did _Girls on Film_ , you had a little too much fun dancing around in that wig and dress. So, I had a feeling," he explained.

"I was four when we did that!" Blaine exclaimed. He didn't even know what gay or straight was at that point and Cooper had assumed he was gay from that?

"Okay, listen. I gotta go. There's some party out in the Hills that Steven Spielberg is supposed to be at. So, I need to show up for sure, but I will talk to you later."

"Have a good night, Coop."

"Thanks. Later!"

Cooper hung up before Blaine could say good-bye, but that was pretty much par for the course. Everything was all about Cooper.

Blaine sighed and flopped down on his bed. It could have gone worse, he supposed. Cooper evidently didn't have a problem with him being gay and if it really came down to it, he was pretty sure Cooper would have his back. Maybe. If he wasn't too busy with his career, that is.

* * *

A few weeks had gone by and things were fine, if a little tense. No more mention had been made of Blaine's news, but at least his dad didn't seem openly mad or anything. Things could have been a lot worse, Blaine supposed.

One Saturday morning in an oddly warm October, the Anderson family was just finishing breakfast when there was a honk in the driveway.

"Oh, great, he's here," Blaine's dad said. "Blaine come with me."

Blaine rinsed out his cereal bowl before slipping on his shoes and following his dad out to the driveway. His dad was standing next to a tow truck with an old Chevy. It was dirty and covered in rust spots. What paint Blaine could see, looked like it was a weird dark green. His dad signed some papers and then shook hands with the driver. The car was lowered into the driveway and then the tow truck was gone.

"What's this?" Blaine asked.

"I figured it was about time you started learning about cars. You'll have your license in a couple years and the more you know now, the better. So, we're going to rebuild her."

Blaine just nodded. On one hand, his dad was right. It would probably be good to know how to change a tire and change the oil and all that. On the other, this was such a stereotypically straight male thing to do, that Blaine couldn't help thinking this was just an attempt by his dad to un-gay him or something.

"Sounds great," he choked out.

If his dad was going to make him do this, he was going to make the most of the opportunity. Maybe he could show his dad that all his preconceived notions about what it meant to be gay were wrong. That just because Blaine was gay didn't mean that he was any less of a man.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Blaine and his dad slowly and painstakingly rebuilt the old Chevy. They tracked down original parts when they could and even found a guy who could repair the torn leather seats. It was coming along well, unlike Blaine's relationship with his dad which seemed to be stalled.

"How's the car?" Ethan asked Blaine Monday morning.

Ethan was a junior and the only other out gay kid at school. He had been a good friend and ally to Blaine as he tried to navigate the turbulent waters of high school after coming out. But that's all he was. Just a friend.

"Fags."

Blaine turned from his locker to see Jake high-fiving his friends for his oh, so imaginative comment.

"Just ignore them," Ethan advised.

"I am," Blaine said. "But, like, really? That's the best they can do? It's so unoriginal."

Ethan laughed at Blaine's comment because it was true. Yeah, he'd gotten bullied since coming out last year, but it was mostly stupid comments and the occasional slur spray painted on his locker. He'd brought it to the attention of the administration, but as there were never any witnesses, there really wasn't anything they could do.

"So, seriously, though," Ethan said. "How's things with your dad?"

Blaine sighed as he closed his locker. That was a loaded question.

"They're okay, I guess," he eventually replied. "I mean, it's actually been kind of fun working on the car in a weird way, but anytime I try to talk about being gay or a guy I might like, he just completely changes the topic and shuts me down. It's so frustrating. It's like, it's okay for me to be gay as long as we don't talk about it."

"I'm sorry, man," Ethan said. "You know you can always call me if you need to talk. And my folks are pretty good, too. They go to PFLAG meetings. Maybe they could talk your parents into going?"

"I doubt it," Blaine laughed. "But I guess it can't hurt to ask."

"Well, there's a meeting this Saturday if you want to mention it."

"Thanks. I'll let them know."

* * *

That afternoon, Blaine was in the bathroom, cleaning up from lunch before his science class. He had just finished washing his hands and was trying to get his hair to behave in some manner, maybe he should try gel or something, when the door suddenly crashed open. Blaine looked over to see Jake and two of his henchmen come stumbling into the bathroom, laughing at something. They stopped as soon as they saw Blaine standing at the sinks.

"What are you looking at?" Jake sneered.

"Nothing," Blaine said as he gathered his things. 

"So, what? I'm not good enough for you, fag?

"Let me go, Jake. I have class."

"No," Jake said, shoving Blaine against the sink. 

His hip smacked hard against the counter and Blaine winced as pain shot down his leg. This was new. He'd had words yelled at him across the halls, but no one had ever laid a hand on him. He'd thought that maybe high school would be different. For the first time, Blaine was scared.

"Stop it," he said, weakly.

"No," Jake said again, pushing Blaine shoulder.

"Let me go!" Blaine exploded, shoving back against Jake.

The shove was so weak, Jake just laughed as he barely moved under the force. Jake had at least six inches and forty pounds on Blaine. It was a stupid move, Blaine knew, but he had to do something.

"Oh. You wanna go, Anderson? We can go?"

Jake shrugged off his letterman jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Blaine saw his fists ball up and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact of the coming punch. This was it; this was what was going to do him in.

"Hey!"

Blaine cracked open his eye to see Ethan standing in the door to the bathroom, staring down Jake. Blaine had no idea why or how Ethan was there, but he had never been so happy to see him.

"Blaine. Go," Ethan said.

Blaine didn't even hesitate. He just grabbed his bag, ducked under Ethan's arm and ran down the hall to his class. He dropped into his seat, panting harshly. There were still a couple minutes before class started, so he had time to gather himself before his classmates flooded the room. 

That was close. Too close, really. His heart was pounding and his head was spinning from the possibilities of what could have happened. Maybe he could ask his dad to let him take karate or boxing lessons or something. That would be sufficiently manly, but still provide him the ability to defend himself with need be. He doubted he would be getting much taller and it would be nice to know that he could take care of himself if need be.

He might be young, but he knew that growing up openly gay in Ohio would not be easy.

* * *

**04**

_Blaine Anderson is ten years old._

Cooper had just graduated high school and decided to move to LA against their parents' wishes. Blaine heard them arguing one night when they thought he was sleeping.

"But you've been accepted into some wonderful schools," his mom said. "Why would you want to throw that away?"

"I don't need to go to college to be an actor," Cooper said. "Todd's cousin moved out there last year and he's been getting tons of roles!"

"Really?" his dad said. "What's he been in?"

"Um, well," Cooper said, pausing. "He did this commercial for a seafood restaurant and it's been getting a lot of air play out there. And he's done some print work, too. Oh! And he's going to be in that _Ocean's Twelve_ movie that's coming out next year."

"Well, that sounds impressive. What part did he get?"

"Um, he's a bartender, I think Todd said."

Blaine's dad just nodded.

"Honey, we just don't understand why you can't wait a few more years," his mom said. "You know we think you're very talented, but it's a tough business and getting more experience and knowledge before you move to LA could only help."

"But I don't want to go to college!" Cooper exclaimed. "I've never done well at school. You know Blaine got all the brains in the family. It would just be a waste of time and money."

"Don't say that," his mother insisted. "You are a very bright boy, Cooper."

"What about UCLA?" his dad said. "You could go to school, but still audition in your free time."

"How many times do I have to tell you? _I'm not going to college_!" Cooper yelled before storming off and stomping up the stairs.

Blaine ducked into his room, leaving his door open a crack and peeking out as Cooper slammed his door shut. He waited a few minutes for his breathing to calm down and then crept out to hesitantly knock on Cooper's door.

"What?" Cooper yelled.

"It's-it's me," Blaine said.

"Hey, Squirt," Cooper said as he let Blaine in. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I thought you were Mom and Dad."

"That's okay. Are you really leaving?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. Jaime's coming by tomorrow to pick me up and we're gonna drive out to LA."

"I'm gonna miss you," Blaine admitted as he threw his arms around Cooper's waist.

"I'll miss you, too, Blainers. But you're gonna be fine, you hear me? You'll make new friends and do amazing things, okay?"

Blaine nodded at Cooper's words. He'd looked up to Cooper for so long, he wasn't sure what he would do without him around. But maybe it was time for Blaine to start growing up.

* * *

So now, it was just Blaine, but he wasn't any trouble. He was a good student – happy, bright and always eager to help. He was part of the school choir and his parents started letting him take piano lessons a couple years ago. His teachers all made sure to mention how talented Blaine was. The pride on his parents' faces as he placed first at a local music competition made Blaine's heart swell.

In December, Blaine had his first solo at the Emerson Magnet Elementary School concert. He sang the verses of _Rainbow Connection_ all by himself and the rest of his classmates joined him on the choruses. When the song was over, Blaine got his first public standing ovation. He bowed to the audience, his smile so wide it made his cheeks ache.

After the concert, Blaine's parents took him out for dessert. He got a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles and a cherry on top. It's the happiest Blaine had been in a long time.

"We're so proud of you," Blaine's mom said. "Your voice is so beautiful."

"Thank you, Mommy," Blaine said, a smudge of hot fudge on his chin.

"Your teachers say you're doing well with your classes," his dad added.

"I'm trying," Blaine replied. "I like my math and English classes."

"That's good. A well-balanced education will serve you well in the future."

"Oh, stop, Phillip," his mom said. "He's ten. He doesn't need to worry about all that yet."

Blaine laughed with his mom.

"Well, I just want to be sure Blaine understands the importance of a good education," his dad continued. "We've already had one son disappoint us."

Blaine stared intently at the melted remnants of his sundae. He didn't like it when his parents talked about Cooper. It always ended with them fighting and they fought _loudly_.

"Not here," his mom whispered.

"I'm sorry," his dad said. "You're right. This should be a night for celebration. To Blaine."

His dad raised his coffee mug in a toast. Blaine smiled. He was glad he could make his dad proud of him. He would just have to be sure to keep on top of everything so as not to disappoint him.

* * *

When Blaine returned to school after winter break, his choir teacher pulled him aside after class.

"I wanted to give you this," Ms. Taylor said, handing Blaine a flyer printed on yellow paper. "The Westerville Community Theater is doing _Oliver!_ and I think you should audition."

"Really?" he asked. "You think I'm good enough?"

"You are," she assured him. "Let me know if you want me to talk to your parents. The rehearsals wouldn't interfere with school until closer to the production date. I've had students do shows with them in the past and the teachers are very accommodating if you should need to miss classes."

"I'll think about it," Blaine said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Blaine wandered to his locker in a bit of a daze. Sure, he loved singing and dancing, but he never really thought it was something he wanted to do all the time. He just didn't want to let his parents down like Cooper had. Would they even let him do this considering everything that had happened? Well, it couldn't hurt to go to the audition, right? Just because he auditioned didn't mean he would get a part. 

He looked at the sheet again; auditions were this Saturday. He was expected to come prepared with a song and short monologue. Well, there were lots of songs he could sing, but what kind of monologue would they be expecting from a kid? Maybe he should look up something from the show? Maybe he could call Cooper for advice? He had to have been on a ton of auditions by now.

Blaine jerked as someone flicked his ear.

"Earth to Blaine!"

Blaine looked over to see his friend Therese standing next to him. He had somehow made it to his locker and had apparently just been standing there staring at the flyer.

"Hi, Therese," he said. 

"What did Ms. Taylor want?" she asked.

"She thinks I should audition for this," he replied, showing her the flyer.

" _Oliver!_? Isn't that the show about the orphans?"

"I think so. What do you think? Should I do it?"

"Why not? It's just an audition."

"But what if I get it?"

"Then you get it. How is that a bad thing?"

Blaine just shrugged. None of his friends knew about Cooper and how he had messed up their family.

"Oh, just go," Therese said. "It'll be fine."

"Okay! Fine!" Blaine laughed. "You wanna come, too?"

"Sure, why not? I got nothing better to do."

"Cool," Blaine said.

"Sure thing."

That night, Blaine told his mom about the audition and that he wanted to go.

"Oh, honey. I don't know. What about school?"

"Ms. Taylor said that it would all be fine. I wouldn't have to miss much until the week before the performances start and the teachers have been really good in the past with the other kids who have gotten parts. Besides, it's just the audition. I probably won't even get a part."

"Oh, Blaine," his mom said smiling fondly. "I'm sure you would. I'm just not sure about your father with everything that happened with Cooper."

"I know," Blaine said. "But… Please? I really wanna try this."

"All right," she finally said. "We'll go and when you get the part, I'll talk to your father, okay?"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Blaine shouted, jumping up and giving his mother a hug. Now, all he had to do was figure out which song to sing and what monologue to do.

* * *

Saturday morning arrived much too soon for Blaine's liking. He awoke with a stomach full of butterflies and his palms already sweating from nervousness. He showered quickly, running through some vocal exercises and humming through his song ( _Go The Distance_ from Hercules) a few times. Once he was dressed, he grabbed the sheet music and the paper with his monologue before running downstairs for breakfast.

As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, his nose was assaulted with the smell of bacon and French toast, his favorites. His mom was seriously the awesomest.

"Good morning!" his mom called as he sat at the table.

"Morning, Mom! Hi, Dad," Blaine said.

Blaine's dad lowered the paper he was reading and peered over the top of it to look at Blaine. First there was Cooper with his silly notions about Los Angeles and now Blaine with this play.

"So, you want to be an actor, too?" he asked.

"I dunno," Blaine said as he shrugged. "I like singing and Ms. Taylor thinks I would be good for the part. I just thought I'd give it a try."

"All right," Phillip grumbled. "But if you get the part I expect you to still keep up with your school work."

"Of course," Blaine said, sitting up straight and nodding enthusiastically. 

Blaine was happy his dad didn't seem mad about the audition. Now that he had his approval, Blaine really wanted the part. Before, he would have been happy just going to the audition, but now he wanted to prove that he could do this.

He quickly ate his breakfast as he looked over the short speech he had chosen. He had to be checked in by 9:00 am and it was already 8:15. They needed to leave soon if Blaine didn't want to be late. He had talked to Therese the night before and she was still coming. It definitely helped Blaine to know that he would have a friend there.

* * *

A short time later, Blaine's mom pulled up outside the Westerville Civic Auditorium. He heaved out a breath as he stared at the building.

"Nervous?" his mom asked.

"A little bit," he admitted. 

"You'll be great. Come on. Let's go get you checked in."

They found the check-in table easily enough and Blaine gave all his information before receiving a number in return. After that, they made their way into the theater to wait. Blaine quickly found Therese and went to sit by her while his mom waited in the back with all the other parents.

After a brief introduction by the director on how the day would run, the auditions got started. Starting with the children first, they would be called up on stage in numerical order where they would do their song and monologue. After that, they would all be taught a short dance routine to be performed in several groups.

Blaine was called up about half-way through the morning, not long after Therese. He handed his sheet music to the pianist and took his spot center stage. He gave his name and number to the crowd and after a short introduction on the piano, he started singing. This, he knew he could do. He had been singing to large crowds since he was four years old; three people sitting behind a table was nothing.

Once the song was done, then his nerves kicked in. He'd never acted before and while he might not have any problem with remembering the words, could he say them right? Would he be able to convince those three people that he could be their Oliver?

"Very nice. Thank you," the director told him once he was done.

"Thank you," Blaine replied before scurrying off the stage and back to this seat.

"That was so great!" Therese whispered.

"Really?" Blaine asked.

"Totally. You were the best one up there by a long shot."

"Thanks," Blaine replied. "But there's still a lot of people to go."

"Don't even worry about it. They would be crazy not to pick you."

Blaine just smiled as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. It had felt good, but that didn't mean everyone else liked it or that it was what the director was looking for. Oh, well. Whatever happened, he was glad he had come.

Once the last kid had performed, they were all taken backstage to one of the rehearsal rooms and taught a bit of the routine from _Food, Glorious Food_. Blaine stood in the back of the room near Therese watching as the choreographer, Mr. Corson, led them through the steps. A lot of the other kids seemed to be having trouble with the steps, but Blaine didn't think it was that hard.

"You!"

Blaine looked up and saw the choreographer motioning for him.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yeah. Come up front here. Do you know it?"

"I think so," Blaine said, hesitantly.

"Okay. Everyone, watch—"

"Blaine."

"Blaine here. He's doing exactly what we need you to do."

He started the music, Blaine counted off the steps and did what he had been shown. Everyone applauded when he was done. Blaine blushed and ducked his head. It wasn't that impressive; he just did what Mr. Corson had shown them.

"That was excellent, Blaine. Do you have any training?"

"Um, no, sir," he replied. 

"Well, then great job."

The rest of the hour they spent just going over everything, Blaine even helping to explain some of the steps to the younger kids. It felt good to be able to help people like that.

Once the hour was up, they were back on stage to show the number to the producers. Blaine was in the first group and Mr. Corson had him front and center. When the number was over, he was one of the few kids that was in the exact spot and position he was supposed to be in. He looked out to the audience and couldn’t help spotting his mom, who was giving him a standing ovation. Maybe he did have what it took after all.

The casting list was supposed to go up at 2:00 pm, so after a quick lunch and a short trip to the mall to get Blaine some new pants (he was growing so fast), they headed back to the Auditorium to see what it said. There was a crowd of people in the lobby when they got there and they had to wait a few minutes for it to clear out enough for Blaine to be able to read the list.

Oliver.........................................................Blaine Anderson.

He did it.

* * *

**05**

_Blaine Anderson-Hummel is thirty years old._

He just heard his newborn son cry for the first time. It was the most beautiful sound Blaine had ever heard. Kurt was standing next to him, clutching his hand so hard it almost cut off his circulation. Brody was squeezing Rachel's hand and kissing her forehead.

"You did so good, sweetheart," Blaine heard him whisper.

"How is he? Can I see him?" Rachel asked.

"Here you go," one of the nurses said, bringing him over and laying him on her chest.

"Oh my God," she said as she started crying. "He's so perfect."

"Do we have a name yet?" the nurse asked.

"Phillip Burt Anderson-Hummel," Kurt answered.

"Really?" Blaine asked, his eyes tearing. Again.

"Of course," Kurt said with a smile. "It's what we all agreed on."

"I think it's perfect," Rachel added.

"Okay," Blaine nodded. "Phillip Burt it is."

Kurt and Blaine left with the doctor to go fill out the necessary paperwork while Rachel and the nurse got Phillip settled with breastfeeding. There was a lot of paperwork to sign. Even more for them since, legally, Rachel had to give up her parental rights in order for Blaine to adopt Phillip. But, they still very much wanted Rachel to be a part of their child's life. In fact, the four of them had just moved into a new three bedroom apartment a few months ago.

Blaine had been pleasantly surprised by Brody's ease with the whole situation. He and Rachel had been married for just over a year when the idea was mentioned again. It seemed strange to Blaine that Rachel's first child wouldn't be with her husband, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. As to who would be the father, well, that had been a long discussion.

"But she's your friend," Blaine had argued.

"She's just as much your friend as she is mine. Besides, there's something a little unsettling thinking about my sperm being… in there," Kurt said.

"Oh, but my sperm is fine."

"Yes, it is," Kurt said kissing his nose.

"What about your dad? You know how thrilled he would be to know the kid is yours."

"What about your parents?"

"Pfft. They have Cooper to give them all the grandbabies they want."

Kurt sighed as he contemplated Blaine's argument. He had to admit, he was nervous though. For a long time, he had just never really considered this a possibility. Sure, Rachel had always joked about it with him, but that's all he thought it was – a joke. To know she was serious and to think that in less than a year he could be a father was a little overwhelming.

"Hey," Blaine said quietly. "We don't have to do this, you know. Just because Rachel offered doesn't mean we need to take her up on it."

"No," Kurt said. "No, I do. It's just a lot to think about, you know?"

"I know. If it helps, I think you'll be a great father."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I see how you are with your niece and how much you love her. Now just think about if she was yours."

Kurt had to smile at the thought. He did love his niece an awful lot, but lately he had started feeling like something was missing.

"Okay," Kurt said.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. I'll do it."

Blaine grabbed Kurt in a hug, lifting him off the floor and spinning them around.

"I love you," Blaine said.

"I love you, too," Kurt said. "And think of it this way, you and Rachel have similar enough features that it would almost be like the baby was _our_ child."

"I knew you were just a big softie deep, down inside."

"Yeah, yeah," Kurt drawled, playfully swatting at Blaine's arm. "So, should we call Rachel?"

"I guess so. Might as well get the ball rolling," Blaine said.

Turns out, Rachel had had the ball rolling for the last year.

"I've been closely monitoring my cycles for the past twelve months in order to know when I'm ovulating and we have the best chance of success at this," she said later that afternoon.

"Ew, Rachel," Kurt said. "TMI."

"Oh, shut up. Now, you happen to have perfect timing because I should be ovulating next week. I've already called my doctor and we have an appointment for next Wednesday. All we need is a, uh, _sample_ from Kurt and we'll be good to go."

"So soon?" Kurt said. 

"Well, yeah," Rachel said. "I mean, just because we do this step next week is no guarantee I'll actually get pregnant this time around. It could take a couple months before it works."

"How is this going to work, exactly?" Blaine asked.

"Well, Kurt will, you know, into a specimen cup," Rachel said, making very vague and slightly rude hand gestures. "Then the doctor will put that into a syringe and expel that into my birth canal. Then nature takes over and your little guys do what they do."

"It sounds so… clinical," Kurt said.

"Well, somehow I doubt you would actually want to do this the old fashioned way."

"Oh my God, no. Definitely not," Kurt said.

"Then this is what we do," she replied. "But don't worry, everything will be fine. This is how I was conceived and look how fabulously I turned out."

And, really, there was nothing either of them could say to that.

* * *

And so, three weeks later, Kurt was over at Rachel and Brody's apartment waiting for her to pee on a stick. Rachel had missed her period, so the odds were looking good, but they still needed to make sure. Blaine would have been there, but he had a last minute meeting with a possible investor for his musical and there was no way Kurt was letting him miss that. Brody was out on an audition, so it was just the two of them.

"Well?" Kurt said when Rachel came out of the bathroom.

"Now we wait. Three minutes," she said.

"Oh, god," Kurt said. This was too much. Was he really ready for this? Were he and Blaine ready to be parents?

"Can I get you some tea?" Rachel asked. 

"Why are you offering me tea?" he asked. "I should be asking you if you want anything. Why are you standing? Come sit down."

"Okay, Kurt. Calm down," Rachel said. "Just because I might be pregnant doesn't mean I'm now some fragile porcelain doll. Yes, I will eventually need to take things easy, but I'm fine. Everything is fine."

Kurt was about to protest when the alarm on Rachel's phone went off.

"Three minutes," she said. 

Kurt stood, waiting anxiously as Rachel walked into the bathroom and came back out holding a large plastic stick.

"Well?"

"You're gonna be a father," she replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, her face lighting up with a smile.

"Oh my God."

He was going to be a father. Rachel was going to have his child.

* * *

So, here they were nine months later. The paperwork had all been signed and Kurt and Blaine were back in the room with Rachel, waiting for Brody and Phillip to come back from their son's first bath and his initial immunizations.

"How are you?" Kurt asked Rachel, sitting by her bed and reaching out to stroke her hair.

"I'm doing okay," she said slowly. "Tired. _Sore_. But it was all worth it. He's the most perfect and beautiful thing ever."

"And here he is," Brody said coming back into the room, gently cradling little Phillip in his arms. He tried to pass him off to Rachel, but she insisted that Kurt hold him first.

"Oh, God. Okay," Kurt said nervously as he tried to get his arms in the right position to support his head and not drop him on the floor. But, it was easy enough and he was soon gazing down at the face of his son. "Hi, Phillip," he said softly. "I'm your daddy."

Phillip opened his eyes as Kurt spoke. The pale, blue color made Kurt gasp. Those were his eyes, his mom's eyes.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine whispered.

Kurt suddenly paled as the enormity of how his life was about to change hit him full force. He handed Phillip back to Brody and ran out of the room.

"I'll go see what's going on," Blaine said.

He went after Kurt, finally tracking him down huddled in a corner of the waiting room, his face pressed into his knees. Blaine went and sat next to him, not saying anything, but just laying a hand on his back to let Kurt know he was there. Eventually, Kurt turned his body into Blaine's curling up against him and sobbing into his shoulder.

"Hey, shh," Blaine said. "What's wrong?"

"I just… I don't know if I can do this. Be someone else's father. Be responsible for someone else like that. It's a lot of responsibility."

"I know. But it's a little late to be having second thoughts. I don't think we can give him back," he chuckled. "And what makes you think you won't be a good father, anyway? You're going to be a wonderful father. And you're not doing this alone, you know. It's not like we're sending you off with a baby while the rest of us go gallivanting around the Caribbean somewhere. Phillip is going to have the most loving and supportive family anyone could possibly ask for."

"But what if I mess up?"

"Well, you probably will," Blaine admitted. "But it's okay. Everyone messes up. Kids don't come with handbooks, you know. But you'll have me and Rachel and Brody and your dad and Rachel's dads. Okay?"

Kurt nodded and sniffed, wiping his nose on his shirt sleeve, which is how Blaine knew this was really getting to him. He may have just been wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, but it was still an Armani long-sleeve t-shirt.

"Come on," Blaine said. "Let's go see our son."

"Actually, can we wait a minute? I want to call my dad."

They sat on the floor in the waiting room, Kurt clutching Blaine's hand as he called his dad.

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Kurt! Hey, what's the news?"

"I have a son," Kurt said, bursting into tears again.

"Oh, son. That's wonderful. Just wonderful. What's his name?"

"Phillip Burt. After you and Blaine's dad."

"Kurt," Burt choked out on the other end of the line. "Okay. I'm gonna book a flight out next month so I can come see my grandson, okay?"

"That sounds great, Dad."

"Okay. You go take care of your son and I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. I love you," Kurt said.

"I love you, too."

Kurt hung up and once more dropped his head to his knees, breathing heavily. Once he was composed, he stood up and held out his hand to Blaine.

"I'm ready," he said.

"Okay," Blaine said. "Let's go start our family."

* * *

The first couple weeks were hard. Harder than anyone had thought they might be. Not that Phillip was a fussy baby. Oh, no. On the contrary, he was perfectly well-behaved. It was more everyone else that had to adjust. Eventually, after one argument too many about who's turn it was to change his diaper, Blaine made a schedule. Especially since he and Brody were returning to work much sooner than either Kurt or Rachel, he figured it was the best way to make sure everything was taken care of.

And the schedule didn't just have Phillip's needs on there. No, it included who's turn it was to make dinner, who would take out the trash, who would do the grocery shopping and laundry. It was almost two pages long by the time Blaine was done with it. But it got everyone on track, so Blaine considered it a success.

One night, Phillip had just had his midnight snack, but was still a little fussy. Blaine had been up late working on a new number for his musical and decided to relieve Rachel.

"Thank you," she said.

"It's honestly no trouble at all."

"I'm not sure why he's so fussy tonight. He ate well enough."

"We'll be fine, won't we, Phillip?" Blaine whispered. "We'll take a little walk around the living room, maybe sing some songs."

"Okay then. Good night," Rachel said.

"Good night."

Blaine walked around the living room, gently swaying and humming softly. Phillip calmed down a bit and stopped crying, but he was still squirming and wiggling quite a bit. Blaine checked his diaper but he was still dry. Then, he had an idea.

He crept quietly into their room and opened their closet. He carefully pushed his way in the dark to the back and the one box that had remained unpacked since they moved. Holding Phillip carefully in one arm, he opened the box until his hand finally closed around what he had been looking for. He grasped the soft toy and gently pulled it out of the box. He then walked across the hall to Phillip's room and sat down in the rocker, holding up Thomas for Phillip to see. Phillip's eyes went wide and he stopped squirming as he took in the old, gray bunny.

"Phillip, this is Thomas," Blaine said. "He was my very best friend when I was little. I would tell him everything. He knew all my secrets and dreams. Things I wouldn't even tell my brother or other friends. In fact, I think he might even know some things that not even your daddy knows."

Blaine gently rocked Phillip until he fell asleep, telling him of all the adventures he and Thomas used to have when he was little.

"But then, it turned out it wasn't a monster at all. It was just the vacuum cleaner!" Blaine said. 

He looked down and saw Phillip's eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and steady. Finally. He was asleep. Blaine put Phillip in his crib with Thomas, kissed his forehead and made his way to his own bed.

"You're a wonderful story teller," Kurt said, sleepily as he rolled towards Blaine.

"You heard that, huh?"

"Most of it. I needed a drink of water. How come you never told me about Thomas?"

"I don't know," Blaine said. "I didn't have him at Dalton because I didn't want the guys to make fun of me, you know? And then I met you and I had someone I could tell everything to."

"Not everything, apparently."

"You know all the important things."

"Then how come I never knew you were afraid of the vacuum?" Kurt teased.

"Because that's not important," Blaine said. "What is important is that I love you and you love me, and we have a son and a wonderful family."

"But the vacuum, Blaine? Really?"

"Hey, come on! I was two and it was loud and scary. Thomas made me feel safe."

"Aw, come here. I'll make you feel safe," Kurt said, wrapping Blaine in his arms.

* * *

**06**

_Blaine Anderson is still fourteen years old._

He was once more looking at his parents' sad and disappointed faces. This time, though, it was from a hospital bed and not across a platter of vegetables. He knew he should be in pain, but the doctors had given him the good drugs. A broken arm, bruised ribs, and a shattered ankle were very serious injuries, after all.

The room had been silent since his parents arrived. It was almost 2:00 in the morning and everyone was exhausted. His mother was crying. His was father was either pacing the floor or sitting hunched over in the uncomfortable chair in the corner.

"Do-do you know how Ethan is?" Blaine finally asked.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," his mom said. "We just came straight to see you. Do you want me to see if I can find out?"

Blaine just nodded. He couldn't even imagine what kind of condition Ethan must be in. He had taken much more of the beating in an effort to protect Blaine.

"I knew this was a bad idea," his dad said. "I knew something bad would happen. I shouldn't have let you go."

"Dad, please."

"No, Blaine. You will stop this nonsense. We are taking you out of that school and enrolling you in Dalton Academy as soon as the doctors say you're well enough to go back."

"But, my friends…"

"Your friends weren't there to protect you. As far as I'm concerned, they're not worthy of your loyalty," he said. "Dalton has the kinds of boys that you should have as friends. They will be the future leaders of our country. The school has a zero tolerance policy, so this kind of thing will not happen again."

Blaine knew that tone of voice. It was his father's _You will do as I say_ voice; there was no arguing with him when he was like this. So, Blaine just nodded and gave in.

"Blaine, honey?"

Blaine's mom was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face and shaking. She said nothing else, just shook her head. Blaine curled in on himself as much as his ribs would allow as the grief washed over him.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It was just a stupid dance. Blaine didn't even like Ethan like that; they were just friends. And now his friend was dead.

Thomas would be so disappointed in him.

* * *

The weeks passed and Blaine began to heal. Physically, at least. Blaine's mental and emotional well-being were another story. He was tense all the time. The slightest noise made him jump. He couldn't sleep with the lights off. If he woke up and it was dark, he had a panic attack. His parents eventually took him to a professional where he was diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder. He was put on medication. The pills for his depression weren't bad and did lift his mood. The anxiety medication, however, was not good. It made him feel dizzy and lightheaded, like he was outside his own body. He stopped taking those.

His dad wanted him to start at Dalton as soon as his injuries were healed, but when Blaine imagined walking through the school surrounded by all those kids, being jostled and bumped all over the hallway, he just broke down. 

His father eventually relented and it was decided that Blaine would start at Dalton in the fall. He would have to repeat his freshman year, but if it gave Blaine enough time to fully recover from the attack, then that was what needed to be done.

* * *

One day in June, Blaine was laying on his bed, clutching Thomas, and mindlessly watching a movie, when there was knock on his door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked when he saw who was standing there.

"I wanted to see how you were," Cooper said. "Sorry I couldn't come back sooner. I've gotten a lot more auditions because of the commercial."

"We saw it last week, actually. You look great, Coop."

"Thanks. I really tried to make sure I had everything down before I got on set. I wanted to show the director that I really knew what I was doing with this character."

Blaine just nodded, even though he wasn't sure that was the best approach. Wasn't it the job of the actor to do whatever the director wanted?

"Anyway," Cooper said. "How are you? Really?"

"I'm okay, I guess," Blaine shrugged, not really wanting to get into it.

"Mom says you haven't left the house and that you're on medication?"

Blaine refocused on the TV, not answering Cooper's question. Why should he bother leaving the house? There wasn't anything good out there for him.

"Have you even talked to any of your friends?"

To be honest, Blaine hadn't even bothered checking his email or Facebook since the hospital. Anytime his friends called, Blaine just told his mom he didn't want to talk to them. Therese had even stopped by a couple weeks ago, but Blaine had just sat on the couch and not said anything. Eventually, Therese had stood up in a huff.

"Good bye, Blaine," she'd said before storming out and slamming the door.

"You can't shut everyone out forever," Cooper said.

"I can try," Blaine muttered, playing with Thomas' ear.

"Come on," Cooper said, swatting at Blaine's leg. He stood up and walked out of the room without waiting for Blaine.

Blaine sighed, kicked off his blankets and followed Cooper downstairs. He was holding Blaine's shoes and had his car keys in his hand.

"Oh, no," Blaine said, starting to panic. "No no no."

"We're just gonna go for a drive, okay? That's all."

Blaine hadn't even been to get the mail and Cooper expected him to hop in the car and go for a drive? Did he even realize what it was he was asking Blaine to do?

"Cooper, please…"

"Come on. You'll be fine."

And Cooper sounded so sure of himself that Blaine almost believed him. Maybe he could do this. His parents had already paid the tuition for Dalton, so he would have to leave the house once school started. He doubted Dalton offered any sort of online educational courses.

Slowly, Blaine reached out and took his shoes from Cooper. He slid his feet into them and slowly headed for the door. He paused as soon as his feet touched the welcome mat. He looked around to see what had changed. Not much, apparently.

Mr. Jones was still across the street, pruning his brushes. Mrs. Finster came jogging by, and waved cheerfully at both Blaine and Cooper. Blaine found himself raising his hand in return before he could even think about it. The sun was shining; there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Maybe this would be okay, after all.

Blaine willed his feet to move and thirty-one steps later, he was standing next to Cooper's rented BMW and stepping inside. Once the door was closed, he finally breathed again.

"You doing okay, Squirt?"

Blaine just nodded. He was fine. Then Cooper started the car. The roar of the engine and the rumbling as it shifted into gear made Blaine's heart race. He gripped the seat tightly, his knuckles turning white with the pressure. Blaine was sure he was going to faint.

"Blaine?"

He looked up, Cooper's concerned face was inches from his own, a sharp contrast to the blurry world around him. Blaine gulped in a breath, his heartbeat calming and the world coming back into focus.

"Okay. I'm sorry," Cooper said. "Forget it."

"No," Blaine said. He had come this far. "No. Just drive."

To his credit, Cooper didn't question Blaine. He just nodded, put the car into gear and slowly backed down the driveway. Blaine closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing and the other calming techniques he'd been taught to help him deal with his anxiety.

He opened his eyes a short time later to see that they were on the outskirts of Westerville. The buildings were fading away into the few farms that were left. With the top down and the wind blowing through his hair, Blaine finally felt like he could _breathe_. He let his arm fall to the side, his hand swaying with the racing wind. A family of deer ran out from the bushes and alongside their car. 

Blaine smiled.

"Hey. Welcome back," Cooper said.

Cooper eventually stopped the car in a small roadside picnic area. The climbed onto the hood and just stared up at the sky. Blaine's mind was suddenly awhirl with thoughts and images he'd tried to forget.

"We weren't even dating," Blaine started. "He was just a friend. The only other gay kid at school. I thought it would be nice to go to a dance with another boy. Apparently, no one else thought so. But, we just stood off to the side drinking really bad punch and talking. We were waiting for his dad to come pick us up when Jake and his two goons jumped us out of nowhere."

Blaine paused as the memories overcame him. He hadn't talked about this with anyone, not even his shrink. Anytime anyone asked, he just said he didn't remember it happening.

"Ethan tried to shove me out of the way, but Alex grabbed my jacket and the threw me down. I curled up in a ball, trying to just make it stop, but it didn't. Not until Mr. Davidson came outside and saw what was happening. He got them to stop and called the ambulance, I guess. All things considered, it seems I got off easy. Unlike Ethan. I didn't even get to go to his funeral."

Blaine completely broke down then. He hadn't properly mourned Ethan since learning of his passing. He'd had a moment in the hospital, but he'd been so doped up on pain killers, that the memory seemed far off and somehow not real. But it was real. Ethan was gone and Blaine's life was irrevocably changed.

"It's okay," Cooper said, pulling Blaine close. 

Blaine sobbed into his brother's shoulder, letting out all the anger and sadness he'd kept buried these past few months. He didn’t care why Cooper was home now. He was just grateful that Cooper was here; he'd really missed his brother.

"Sorry," Blaine said, as he pulled away wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"Don't even," Cooper said. "Mom and Dad said you hadn't really talked about it."

"I just didn't want to think about it, ya know? Like, if I didn't think about it maybe I could forget it happened."

"But you can't forget it, Blaine," Cooper said. "I took this one acting class and the teacher said that all of our past experiences make us who we are and help us become better actors. Is that a crock of shit or what? Like, how are my experiences as manager at the Starbucks going to help me if I audition for the role of an astronaut? But, anyway. It did happen, and it did change you, and I think you can only get stronger from here. Okay?"

"Okay," Blaine nodded. "Hey, Coop?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stop at the Dairy Queen on the way home?"

"You bet," Cooper said, with a smile. "I won't even tell Mom."

Blaine ordered his usual hot fudge sundae and Cooper got a chocolate malt They sat at a table by the window, eating in companionable silence. Cooper's phone rang and Blaine turned to look at the other patrons while politely ignoring Cooper's discussion. Everything was fine. Then, the bell over the door rang announcing someone's entrance. Blaine looked over to see some of the football players walking in. The sight of that damn letterman jacket was enough to start Blaine's heart pounding and his breath racing.

"Coo-Cooper," he wheezed, reaching out to swat at his arm. "Cooper."

"Just a sec," Cooper said, turning his back to Blaine. "Really? He wants to see me?" he said into his phone.

"Please, Cooper," Blaine pleaded. 

One of the guys had spotted Blaine. He nudged one of his friends and pointed in Blaine's direction and the group all looked over at Blaine. One of them whispered something and then they all broke out in laughter. He had to get out of there. He had to leave. He had to go.

"Yes!" Cooper shouted.

Blaine whipped his head around to stare at his brother who was apparently finished with his conversation.

"Dude! Baz Lurhmann wants to see me for a part!" he exclaimed. "Can you believe that? That's huge! The guy who directed the commercial sent Baz some of the footage and Baz thought I was 'charismatic and ruggishly handsome'. Isn't that amazing? Anyway, we gotta go, 'cause I gotta get a flight back to LA tonight. Come on."

Cooper stood up, dragging Blaine from his seat, completely oblivious to Blaine's rising panic and severe change in demeanor. Cooper babbled about Baz Lurhmann on the whole drive home, while Blaine clutched his seat and tried to remember how to breathe. He was dropped off in front of their house; Cooper couldn't even be bothered to pull into the driveway. He took off in a squeal of tires and a wave.

Blaine collapsed at the end of the driveway, where he stayed until his mom came out and found him a couple hours later. Blaine went straight up to his room, took some of his anxiety medication for the first time in months and curled up under his covers.

Blaine guessed it was true what they said – a tiger never changes its stripes.

* * *

Two months later, the first day of class dawned bright and sunny. He showered quickly and carefully slicked his hair down with his new gel. It was going to take some practice to get used to using product in his hair, but he would figure it out. 

He opened his closet and pulled out one of his new uniforms. The gray trousers were itchy and uncomfortable and really, just kind of ugly. The white button down shirt was nondescript. The tie and blazer, though, felt like armor. It felt like he was strapping on a secret identity. No one at Dalton knew who he was or why he was there. He was just another freshman, starting the year out at a new school like everyone else.

"Have a good day," his mom called as she dropped him off.

"I will," Blaine called back and was relieved to know he really meant it.

He walked down the halls, his bag secure on his shoulder as he looked for his first period class. A large bulletin board covered in brightly colored papers caught his eye. It currently held all the announcements for the afterschool clubs. There was science and chess and various intramural sports teams. But there, right in the middle on bright yellow paper. That was the one Blaine wanted. It simply said, "Join the Warblers. Be a ROCKSTAR!"

* * *

**07**

_Blaine Anderson is four years old._

His best friend was a stuffed bunny named Thomas. One of his eyes was missing and his mom had sewn an eye-patch in its place. Blaine's mom was the best ever. His gray fur was threadbare in places and some of his seams were falling apart, but Blaine couldn't ask for a better companion.

He was a shy child, often overshadowed by his older brother's exuberant personality. He didn't mind though. Blaine was happy to sit with Thomas and make up stories of grand adventures. He could be a knight or an underwater explorer or a cowboy in the Old West.

At Blaine's fourth birthday party a couple weeks ago, his mom had allowed Cooper to invite a couple friends, so he wouldn't be too bored. The party was supposed to be cowboy themed, but Cooper and his friends took over and soon they were in the middle of an alien invasion! The water pistols became ray-guns and the hobby horses were rocket ships!

At one point, Cooper and his friends bunny-napped Thomas and held him hostage. Blaine wasn't sure if they were still playing cowboys and aliens or just cowboys at this point, but he didn't really care. His friends all entrusted him to get Thomas back and Blaine did! They arranged a sneaky plan that got Cooper and his friends away from where Thomas was being held and Blaine ran in and rescued him!

Blaine didn't mind that Cooper had changed things; he was just happy his brother wanted to play with him. A lot of his friends had older brothers and sisters who never wanted to play together. Besides, Cooper always made things so much more fun. He had a wild imagination and the crazy things he thought up always made Blaine laugh.

If Cooper didn't make him laugh, he had Blaine just staring at him in awe. For the last couple months, Cooper had started putting on little shows after dinner. Blaine would sit on the couch with his parents, clutching Thomas tightly and staring in wonderment as Cooper sang and danced to the latest radio hits and some of his old favorites – Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, and even Cyndi Lauper one time. 

Most nights after his parents had tucked him in, Blaine would get out of bed and try to recreate what he remembered of Cooper's routines. The steps, the songs, the gestures. But no matter what, he just couldn't get it right. He tried and tried, but it just wasn't working.

One day, he finally got the nerve to ask Cooper to show him one of the routines and after a lot of begging and pleading, Cooper finally agreed. One Saturday evening, after dinner, Cooper took Blaine out to the backyard and taught him the first routine he had ever done - _Video Killed the Radio Star_.

Cooper went easy on Blaine, only teaching him the little bit of the chorus. It took the last few hours before sunset, but Blaine was very pleased with himself by the time they were done. 

The best day of Blaine's life was when Cooper finally asked Blaine to join him when he performed for their parents a few weeks later. Cooper taught Blaine a simple two-step and all the words to the chorus in _Rio_. The first rehearsal did not go well.

"No, Blaine," Cooper said. "It's step touch, step touch, _slide_ , front front, back back, _clap_."

Blaine concentrated, trying his best to get the steps in the right order, but he kept clapping in the wrong spot.

"Come on, Blaine," Cooper sighed.

"I'm trying," Blaine said. And he was. He was trying his best. He counted it off in his head. One two, three four, _five_ , six seven, eight nine, _ten_. Finally! He did it!

"Good!" Cooper said. "Again."

Cooper started the music and they ran through the routine until Blaine had it perfect. It took most of the afternoon, but Blaine was really proud of himself for getting it just right.

Thomas sat on the couch with his mom and dad as they put on the show after dinner. Their parents gave them a standing ovation when it was over. Blaine smiled so hard his cheeks hurt.

"That was pretty good, Squirt," Cooper said. "But you were still a little off beat with the choreography. I know you're just my back-up, but I need you to be better if I'm going to be the best."

Blaine nodded earnestly, wanting to be sure he did his best for Cooper. He kept practicing the routine until he had it right.

Two weeks later, they did the routine again and this time Blaine was _perfect_. His mom picked him up and swung him around the room as she laughed.

“That was wonderful!” she cried.

“You better watch out, Cooper,” his dad joked. “Little Blaine is going to give you a run for your money.”

They all laughed at that comment, but Blaine couldn’t help noticing that the smile didn’t quite reach Cooper’s eyes.

Eventually, Thomas got left behind and shoved to the back of his closet. He laid forgotten as Cooper took his place as Blaine's best friend.

* * *

Eventually, Cooper turned over the lead of _Rio_ to Blaine as he worked on perfecting his _Girls on Film_ routine. That one was actually fun for Blaine. He didn't sing, but he got to dress up in silly clothes and a curly, blond wig and run around the stage, dancing however he wanted. He always got the biggest laughs from the crowd.

One day, after they had performed at Lily's fourth birthday party, Cooper pulled Blaine aside when they got back home.

"Look, Blainers. You need to tone it down, okay?" he said. "I'm the star. You're great and all, but this is my show and you're stealing my applause."

* * *

About a month later, Blaine announced that he had something he wanted to show everyone. He hadn't told anyone, not even Cooper, what he had been up to. After they had eaten and dinner was cleaned up, Blaine directed his family to sit on the couch. He ran over to the stereo and popped in the tape. After a short pause, the opening strains of _Hungry Like the Wolf_ started to play.

Blaine had rehearsed every day for the last three weeks and he had the routine down pat. It wasn't anything terribly complicated; he was, after all, still a month shy of his fifth birthday. He was still proud of the choreography he had managed to put together, though. All the hours of working with Cooper and watching MTV had finally paid off. And there was this girl in his preschool class, Brittany, who had started taking dance classes and she had given him some pointers. She was really good.

He messed up the words a couple times (he still wasn't quite sure what "discord" meant), but he kept going and pushed through it like Cooper had taught him. When he reached the end, his parents stood and immediately started applauding. Blaine looked to Cooper, hoping to get some sort of encouragement. He was met with nothing but a cold, dark stare. The smile fell of Blaine's face as he realized that Cooper didn't like it. Had it not been good enough?

"I have something I'd like to share, too," Cooper said, standing up once his parents quieted down. He stalked over to the stereo, ejected Blaine's cassette and put in another one that had been sitting on the shelf.

"No-no-Notorious. Notorious," Cooper sang as he popped the collar of his polo shirt. For the next four minutes, Cooper danced around the living room, singing his heart out. And just like Blaine, when he was done his parents stood and gave him a standing ovation. The smirk Cooper gave Blaine did not make Blaine feel happy.

"Oh, honey!" his mom cried. "That was wonderful! You two are going to be just delightful. Think of it – dueling Simon LeBons!"

His parents broke out into laughter, but Blaine wasn't sure he understood why that was funny. He didn't want to compete with Cooper, he wanted to work with Cooper and be just like him. He was the awesomest brother ever and his parents were ruining everything.

* * *

A few days later, he caught up with Cooper when he got home from school. He had been thinking about how to fix things and he was pretty sure he knew what to do.

"Cooper?" he said.

"Yeah," Cooper replied, his head buried in the refrigerator.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Blaine rushed out. "And I promise that I'll only do what you want me to do from now on."

"Wait. What?" Cooper asked, standing up and looking at Blaine.

"I didn't mean to make a mess. I tried really hard to be like you and I thought that it was good, but it wasn't and I'm sorry."

Cooper saw the tears start to form in Blaine's eyes and, shit, this was the last thing he wanted. Yeah, he'd gotten a little jealous, but he didn't want to crush Blaine's spirit.

"No, I'm sorry," he said. "You were good, Squirt. You were really good. Did you really come up with that whole thing by yourself?"

"Most of it," Blaine said with a shy smile. "Brittany, from my preschool, helped me with some of it. She's a really good dancer."

"That's great, Blainers," Cooper said, ruffling his hair. "You want to show me some of those moves?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, Squirt. Let's see if we can get something ready for tonight."

They ran up to Cooper's room and started sorting through his tapes and CDs. Blaine suggested a few things, but Cooper shot them down. That was okay, though. Blaine was going to show Cooper that he was the best brother ever.

"I got it!" Cooper exclaimed, running over to his stereo and cueing up a song. "I've always wanted to do this one, but it really needs two people. I just hope you can pull it off."

Blaine gave Cooper his most confident nod and the two got down to work. They practiced until it was dinner time and, true to his word, Cooper did let Blaine put some of his moves into the choreography. It wasn't perfect, but for only a couple hours work it wasn't bad.

Their dad came home on time for once that night, so after a delicious dinner of pork chops and roasted potatoes, they invited their parents into the den as they did most nights and Cooper cued the music.

Cooper had his back to their parents and Blaine stood behind the couch, "off stage," waiting for his cue to enter. The familiar bass line filled the small room and Cooper started tapping his heel to the beat and pumping one fist in the air. As the lyrics started, he spun dramatically, pointing right at Blaine.

"Tommy used to work on the docks," he crooned. 

This was Blaine's cue to enter, carrying a large sack as if he was Tommy, working on the docks. Cooper went through the beginning of the routine and Blaine carefully counted along to make sure he hit his mark when Cooper needed him to. As soon as the chorus started, Blaine moved to stand next to Cooper, his hands clasped together in front of him as they sang together. They turned to face each other, Blaine slapping Cooper's outstretched hands. They did the simple cross-step that Brittany had showed him before clasping hands and running straight towards their parents. Their mom shrieked in delight as they ran around the couch and back to their spot in front of the fireplace.

They went through the second verse and then back through the chorus, Blaine grinning like an idiot the whole time. He had done this _with_ his brother. Blaine felt like he could be walking on air.

Once they were done, they struck a dramatic pose, with both of them kneeling, each of their hands clasped in a mock prayer. Cooper was trying to look all serious and emotional, but Blaine couldn't stop smiling. He was just so _happy_.

"That was wonderful, boys," their dad said.

"It really was," their mom agreed. "You're both just so creative, I can't wait to see what you come up with next."

"Thank you, Mommy," Blaine said.

"You're welcome, sweetie," she said, coming over to kiss his forehead. 

Cooper reached out to squeeze Blaine's shoulder and Blaine looked up at him. He was lips were smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Blaine was worried he had done something wrong again and Cooper was mad at him. He smiled back and then his mom took him upstairs to get ready for bed. He went without a fuss and brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas like she asked. He only asked for one story, instead of the two they usually read. He didn't want to cause too much fuss.

"Don't let your brother get you down," his mom said. "You are a very smart and talented little boy and I know you're going to do wonderful things. So, just remember that and everything will be fine, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. Good night. I love you," Blaine said.

"Good night, I love you, too," she replied as she turned out the light. She blew him a kiss and Blaine burrowed into his blankets thinking over what his mom had said. Cooper was just the best brother anyone could ever ask for and Blaine never wanted to do anything to upset him.

He would just have to try harder, he guessed.

* * *

Four years later and Blaine's dream was over. 

Cooper started high school next week and he couldn't have his baby brother following him around everywhere. That just wasn't cool. His friends had been teasing him for most of the summer about his Blaine-shaped shadow. It had been awesome for awhile, but now it was just getting annoying.

The night before Cooper started high school, he gave Blaine all his Duran Duran CDs.

"If I’m going to be a serious actor, I need to start being serious about it," he explained. "I can't just goof around with you anymore."

Blaine nodded like he understood, but he didn't. He didn't understand how just because Cooper was starting high school, it meant that he couldn't play with Blaine anymore.

He crawled into his closet, clutching the CDs to this chest. He laid down on a pile of old clothes, wincing as something poked him in the ribs. He reached underneath himself and pulled out a squished gray bunny.

"Thomas," he whispered as his eyes spilled over with tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I forgot you and left you here. I won't do it again. I promise."

From that day on, Blaine vowed to never forget any of his friends. He would be the most loyal and compassionate friend anyone could ask for.

* * *

**08**

_Blaine Anderson is twelve years old._

School had been rough this year for Blaine. He'd started realizing he was different from all the other boys. They would all run after the girls on the playground, laughing with them and playing Kiss Tag. Blaine didn't want to play Kiss Tag. Well, not with the girls, anyway. There were a few of boys he wouldn't mind chasing after, though.

He hadn't even told anyone, but somehow some of the other boys figured it out. Jason Reichart pushed him down on the playground the other day when they were waiting for the buses after school and called him "fag." Blaine wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he figured it couldn't be a good thing with the way the other boys laughed at him.

He told his mom what had happened a few days later when his dad was working late.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he sniffled.

"Oh, honey," she said, pulling him into a hug. "It's not your fault. Those other boys are just mean and jealous of how special and talented you are."

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"What does what mean?"

"Fag."

"It's, well, it's not a very nice word, so I don't want to ever hear you say it," she said sternly. "But, it's slang for someone who's gay. A boy who likes other boys instead of girls."

"Oh. What if I am?" he said quietly.

"What if you are what?"

"What if I am like they said?"

"Do _you_ think you are?"

Blaine just shrugged. He really didn't know for sure. He just knew he didn't like playing with girls the same way his friends did. But, sometimes, when he would be roughhousing with Justin down the street, he would get a funny feeling in his stomach.

"Well, if you are… different," his mom said, "that's okay. We'll still love you just as much, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said. "Thank you, Mommy."

"I love you, sweetie."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Blaine spent the next few months thinking very hard about what his mom and the other kids had said to him. He tried to join in their games with them, but they really didn't want to play with him. He tried to kiss Therese once, just to see what it was like, but she had just laughed and pushed him away.

"Ew, gross, Blaine. That would be like kissing my brother," she said.

He had laughed with her and said he was just joking, that one of the other boys had dared him to do it, so he had to try. And even though he didn't really want to kiss her, the rejection still hurt.

One day, he stopped by the local library on his way home, hoping that Julie, his favorite librarian, was working. She had always been really nice to Blaine and didn't just treat him like a dumb kid. Luckily, she was sitting behind the desk when Blaine walked in.

"Hi, Blaine," she said cheerfully when she saw him. "Is there something I can help you with today?"

He nodded, blushing to the roots of his hair. Now that he was there, he wasn't sure he could go through with it.

"What is it?" Julie asked, seeing his hesitation. "Is everything okay?"

Blaine shrugged and Julie walked out from behind the counter, crouching a little to get down on his level. Blaine looked around to make sure no one else was listening.

"I- I think I might like boys instead of girls," he said quietly. "Do you have any books about that?"

"Oh," Julie said, her face going pale. "I, uh, I don't think we do."

Blaine was disappointed, but not surprised. It was a long shot, but he had to try.

"But," Julie continued, "if you don't tell anyone, I think I might know something that can help you."

She took his hand and led him behind the desk into the head librarian's office, where Blaine knew he wasn't supposed to be. She sat down at the desk and started typing something on the computer and then she wrote something down on a piece of paper. When she was done she motioned Blaine over. He dropped his book bag on the floor and took a seat in the desk chair.

On the monitor was a website for something called The Ohio Support Project. On the piece of paper was a phone number.

"The website should help you with any questions you might have," she explained. "If you need more help or have any questions the website can't answer, you can call this number. There's someone there 24/7 to talk to, okay?"

Blaine spent the next half hour or so poking around the website. There was information on local support groups and a link to something called PFLAG, but nothing that was able help him figure out if he was actually gay. He wasn't sure what to expect, really, but there were quizzes for everything these days. Surely, there had to be an "Am I Gay?" quiz he could take.

Eventually, he decided to pick up the phone and call the number Julie left for him. The phone was answered by a nice sounding man who said his name was Robert. His voice was very soothing and Blaine was instantly at ease, even if it did take him a few minutes to work up the courage to actually say anything.

"I, um, I think I might be gay," he eventually whispered.

"Okay," Robert replied. "What's your name?"

"Blaine. My name is Blaine."

"And how old are you Blaine?"

"Twelve."

"Well, that's how old I was when I started thinking the same thing. What makes you think you might be gay, Blaine?"

Blaine took a deep breath and told Robert about the girls at school and Justin down the street and how the other kids had started calling him names that he didn't like.

"Just because someone calls you a name, that doesn't mean you are what they say," Robert assured him. "But if you are, then that's okay. It's not a bad thing, like some people might try and tell you. It's just something that makes you you."

"Okay. Thank you," Blaine said.

"You're welcome. Did you have any other questions?"

"Um, well, if I like boys does that mean that I can only like boys?"

"Not at all," Robert said. He then patiently explained that sexuality wasn't an all or nothing kind of thing. There were plenty of people who liked both boys and girls. It wasn't always as black and white as it seemed.

"Does that make sense?" Robert asked when he was done.

"Yeah, it does."

"Good. Anything else I can help you with?"

"Um, no. I think that's all."

"Okay. Well, we're here 24/7 if you ever need anyone to talk to, okay? Give us a call at anytime."

"Okay. Thank you. Again."

"You're welcome. Take care now."

"Bye."

Blaine hung up the phone and sat back in the chair. He really had a lot to think about. He picked up his bag and thanked Julie on his way out. She was helping someone check-out, so he couldn't stop to chat longer like he wanted. But that was okay. This was Blaine's problem and he would figure it out.

* * *

The next few weeks were rough for Blaine. Jason and his friends just wouldn't let up with their teasing and it was really starting to get to him. One day, he'd finally had enough and decided to fight back.

"Stop it!" he yelled, shoving Jason back and his hands balling into fists. He'd just "accidentally" run into Blaine, making him fall into the lockers. His jacket caught on the corner, ripping one of the seams.

"Or what?" Jason asked. "You gonna run and tell your mommy like the little fag you are?"

"Mr. Reichart!"

Blaine and Jason and everyone gathered around them in the hall turned to see Mr. Spencer, the gym teacher stalking towards them.

"What was that word you used?" he asked, stopping in front of Jason.

"N-nothing," Jason stammered. "I didn't say anything."

"Come with me. Now. Blaine," Mr. Spencer continued. "Come see me during your lunch, please."

Blaine nodded, terrified at being called to his office. He was the teacher in charge of detention and Blaine had a spotless record. If he got a detention, his parents would be _furious_. Luckily, he only had one more period before lunch so he wouldn't have to wait too long to learn his fate.

He knocked lightly on Mr. Spencer's office, clutching his brown sack lunch tightly.

"Please, have a seat," Mr. Spencer said.

Blaine sat lightly on the edge of the chair, his book bag and lunch held closely in front of him.

"You're not in trouble, Blaine. You can relax," he began. 

Blaine relaxed a bit and sat back in the chair. He was glad he wasn't in trouble, but that just made him even more confused as to why Mr. Spencer wanted to see him.

"I wanted to let you know that Jason will be serving an in-school suspension for the rest of the week," Mr. Spencer said. "We don't tolerate that kind of language around here. I just wanted to know how long this has been going on and why you never told anyone?"

Blaine shrugged and looked down. "I dunno," he mumbled. "It's not a big deal."

"Blaine. You can tell me. I'm on your side here."

"Not that long," Blaine finally admitted.

"Does he do anything besides call you names?"

"Sometimes he runs into me in the hall or outside."

"Blaine. You should have told someone. We can help you."

"But it's just my word against his," Blaine said. "Why would you believe me?"

"Why wouldn't we? Blaine, you're an excellent student. I don't see you as someone who is prone to exaggeration. I think we need to call your parents," Mr. Spencer said, reaching for his phone.

"No!" Blaine cried. "Please don't. They don't need to know. Nothing's wrong, okay? Everything's fine. It's all just a stupid joke."

"Blaine."

"Please," he begged. "Please don't call my parents."

Mr. Spencer sighed and put down the receiver. "Fine," he agreed. "But if this keeps happening, I want you to come tell me or another teacher you trust, okay? Let us look out for you; it's part of our job."

Blaine nodded as he stood. He needed to get out of the office and fast. He was starting to feel closed in and overwhelmed and this was just too much.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Blaine."

Blaine knew a dismissal when he heard one. He ran out of there as fast as he could and outside to his spot under the bleachers. He sometimes ate lunch out here when he needed to get away from everything. He really wished Therese had the same lunch period he did, but she was assigned to the one after his. She was really the only friend he had at school. Walnut Springs was very different from Emerson. All the kids here seemed to care about were goofing off and cars and girls. No one cared about the choir or theater or anything fun. It honestly made Blaine sad.

* * *

That afternoon, he walked home slowly from the bus stop. He knew Mr. Spencer had been trying to help, but he couldn't help thinking that things were only going to get worse from here on out. Luckily, his parents were both still out when he got home, so he didn't need to worry about answering their questions about his mood. He trudged up to his room, his bag banging on every step as he dragged it behind him. He dropped the bag on his bed and went to his closet. He kept the light off and pulled the door shut behind him. He grabbed the small flashlight he kept on a shelf and curled up in a corner he'd made up with some old blankets and pillows. He pulled Thomas out of his hiding spot and curled up on the floor.

"I wish you were real," he whispered into Thomas' fur. "If only I could love you enough and then you would come to life. Like the Velveteen Rabbit. Do you think that's possible?"

He stayed there, whispering his secrets and fears to his best friend. Thomas had been the one constant in Blaine's life and he knew more about Blaine than anyone else did. He knew he was probably a little old to still be hanging on to a stuffed animal like he was, but he always felt better after he talked to Thomas, so in the end, it didn't really matter.

He stayed tucked away until he heard the garage open. He dashed out of his closet, quickly pulling a book out his bag and turning it to some random page, like he had been studying. He found the right page and started working on the math problems as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Oh, Blaine. You're home," his mom said. "Didn't you have your piano lesson today?"

That's right. It was Wednesday. "Um, Mrs. Winter was sick," he lied. "I practiced a bit when I got home, though."

"Okay. Well, we're having chicken for dinner when your father gets home. Do you have much homework?"

"Not too much. I'm almost done," he lied again.

"Good. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom," he said, turning back to his book.

Blaine exhaled heavily as his mother left him alone. He couldn't believe how easy it had been to lie to her like that. He never lied to his parents. Sure, maybe there were things he didn't tell them, but he never just outright lied like that.

His father came home a short time later and he went through the same lies all over again. At least they were simple lies that were easy to remember. He just hoped that Mrs. Winter didn't call here and ask about Blaine. That would just blow everything.

He sat through dinner, answering any questions his parents asked, but mostly quiet. He didn't even really taste the dinner, just ate methodically and then asked to be excused when he was done. Instead of heading back up to his room, he headed to the den and the piano. He needed to play for a bit to just clear his head. He pulled out the sheet music he was supposed to play at a recital next month and started playing through it.

He thought about Therese and how nice it would be if he liked her in the way that everyone said he should. Maybe then Jason and his buddies would leave him alone. But, no, he couldn’t do that to her. She was his best friend, his only real friend and he owed her more than that.

Things might be rough for awhile, but Blaine could get through it. He was an Anderson, after all.

* * *

**09**

_Kurt Anderson-Hummel is sixty-seven years old._

It was a bright, sunny spring day. The birds were chirping and a gentle breeze was rustling the leaves in the trees. It was an entirely too cheerful day for what was happening, but Kurt knew Blaine would have loved it.

"Don't be sad," Blaine had told him a few weeks ago. "I'm not. We've had fifty wonderful years together. That's a lot more than most people get."

"I know," Kurt said, his eyes tearing despite Blaine's request. "I’m just going to miss you so much. What am I going to do without you?"

"You'll be fine. You have Elizabeth and Phillip to look out for you. Finn and Juliet will probably bother you more than you'll like. And you know Rachel and Brody will invite you to dinner every weekend. Promise me you'll go at least sometimes."

"I will," Kurt promised.

"Good. I don't like the thought of you shutting yourself away. Please don't do that."

"I'll try," Kurt said. It was the best he could do. He couldn't promise Blaine he would be happy and go on living life as he had. How could you go on like that when half your heart was missing?

The last week was the most difficult. Blaine had come down with pneumonia and was hospitalized. Kurt was with him every hour of every day. It was difficult, though. It was hard to see someone who had once been so full of life and energy reduced to a shell of his former self. He was all skin and bones and his once golden complexion was pale and sickly. They knew he didn't have much time; it was a matter of days.

Thursday night, Blaine gasped awake, startling Kurt out of the catnap he had allowed himself.

"Blaine?" Kurt said. "Blaine what is it?"

"Take me home," he said, pulling at the various tubes and monitors attached to him. "Please take me home. I don't want to die here. Not like this."

"Okay. Okay. Calm down," he said, reaching out to still Blaine's hands. "Let me go get the doctor and we'll get you signed out so you can go home."

Kurt waited until Blaine was settled back into the bed, before heading out to the nurse's station to find whoever was on call.

"I don't think you understand the severity of his condition," Dr. Young had said. "If he leaves this hospital, it will be a matter of hours, not days."

"I know that," Kurt said calmly. "Blaine knows that. We all know that. I would just like to fulfill my husband's last wish and let him die where and when he wants. I don't think that's too much to ask."

Dr. Young sighed. He knew what the right thing to do was as a person, but as a doctor, he couldn’t always agree with it.

"Fine," he finally said. "I'll sign him out, but under AMA."

"That's fine," Kurt said, smiling sadly. "Thank you, doctor."

By the time all the forms had been signed and everything had been packed up, the sun was just coming up as they pulled into the driveway of Blaine's childhood home. Blaine hadn't been able to sell the house after his parents' passing, so they had kept it. It had worked out nicely as a place for them to stay whenever they visited Ohio.

Kurt expected Blaine to want to head up to the bedroom, but he instead directed them to the deck out back. The morning air was chilly, so Kurt got Blaine settled on one of the lawn chairs and went up to their bedroom to drag the comforter out back. He paused as he stepped back onto the deck. Blaine's eyes were closed against the morning sun, and for a brief moment, Kurt caught a glimpse of the old Blaine. His skin was washed in the golden light of dawn and a soft smile was on his face. 

He wiped the few tears that had fallen and stepped down to drape the comforter over Blaine. 

"Come here," Blaine whispered, weakly holding out his hand to Kurt.

Kurt nodded, although Blaine's eyes were still closed. He bent down and easily picked up Blaine, before sitting down and settling Blaine between his legs. Blaine weighed practically nothing at this point and Kurt's arms easily held him close.

They laid there silent for a few minutes. Kurt could pretend that they were still in high school and this was any number of nights on the weekend or after school, Blaine's parents inside, cleaning up after a rare family dinner.

"Blaine," he said. "Blaine open your eyes. You should see this."

The sun was just coming up over the top of the trees, casting the world in a brilliant golden glow. It took Kurt's breath away.

Blaine opened his eyes and gasped at the sight. It was beautiful. The whole world was beautiful. Kurt was beautiful and warm and Blaine finally felt at peace.

"Kurt," Blaine gasped. "Kurt. I love you. I love you so much. I don't want to go."

"I know. I know," Kurt assured him, tears streaming down his face. "I love you, too. This isn't good bye, okay? I'll see you again, I promise. Blaine? Blaine?"

But there was no answer.

Kurt wasn't sure how long he laid there with his husband in his arms, but it couldn't have been too long as the sun hadn't moved much and Blaine still felt warm.

"Dad?"

Kurt looked over his shoulder and saw Phillip and Elizabeth standing in the door. He just shook his head and watched as his children fell apart.

Eventually, Elizabeth came over and made Kurt get up, leaving Blaine on the chair. He leaned down and pressed one last kiss to Blaine's forehead. Elizabeth whispered, "Goodbye, Daddy," and then she ushered Kurt inside. They heard Phillip on the phone in the kitchen with whoever it was you called in these situations. Kurt wasn't really sure.

Kurt hovered in the doorway, waiting to hear what Phillip had to say. 

"The paramedics should be here soon, as will Dr. Young," he said. "I've also called the funeral home and they're ready for us whenever we arrive."

"Thank you, Phillip," Kurt said.

"Let me make you some tea," Elizabeth said. "Why don't you sit down?"

Kurt nodded and sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the wall. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he had drunk half the mug of tea when there was a knock at the door. Kurt stood to answer this.

"I can do this, Dad," Phillip said.

"No," Kurt said. "No, it's fine. He's my husband and I was here when he passed. This is something I need to do."

Kurt let the paramedics into the house and took them to the backyard where Blaine was still laying on the chair, covered by the comforter. He answered all their questions, grateful for their calm and no nonsense demeanor. Dr. Young arrived shortly after and confirmed all of Kurt's information and also provided them with the necessary paperwork.

"Has a funeral home been selected?" one of the paramedics asked.

"Yes, Moreland," Kurt answered. "My son said he notified them of Blaine's passing and are expecting our arrival."

"Okay, we can transport him there without any problem. Will you be coming with us?"

Kurt was finally out of answers. Going with and seeing Blaine in that place felt so… _final_.

"I'll go." Kurt looked over and saw Phillip stepping out onto the deck. Kurt just nodded and let his son go with the paramedics. He watched as they loaded Blaine onto a stretcher, tucked under a crisp white sheet. Then Blaine was gone and Kurt didn't know what to do.

"Dad?" Elizabeth said. "Why don't you go take a shower?"

Kurt nodded absent-mindedly. He didn't know what to think or feel. His husband was dead. How do you go on after something like that? He knew people did; his dad had done it twice, so it wasn't an impossible task. It still just seemed so far outside the realm of anything Kurt had ever imagined happening. Even though they knew this was coming, now that the time was here, Kurt just didn't know what to do.

So, he shut down and just started moving on autopilot. Elizabeth had told him to shower. So, shower. Wash and condition hair, wash his face, scrub his skin. Blow dry his hair and moisturize his skin. Pick out clothes – a simple button down and black slacks, nothing too complicated. When he was done, he went back downstairs and found Elizabeth waiting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in her hands. He joined her at the table and they sat there just holding hands and crying quietly.

Eventually, Phillip returned and let them know that everything was fine and they just needed to set the day for the funeral.

"Monday," Kurt said. He knew it was only a couple days away, but he didn't want to drag it out any longer than was necessary. He and Blaine had discussed what Blaine wanted when the time came and Kurt knew that the sooner they could do this, the better.

* * *

The service itself was small and intimate. Blaine hadn't wanted anything over the top and Kurt agreed. It had been just their immediate family at the cemetery and a gathering of their friends at the Anderson-Hummel home. It seemed like everyone Blaine had ever known had shown up, even if they hadn't seen each other in years. Mike, Tina, Quinn and Artie; practically the whole glee club was there. Kurt was really touched to see so many people who had loved Blaine gathered to celebrate his life.

And just like Blaine wanted, it had been a celebration. The house was filled with laughter and music as Blaine's family and friends remembered his loving and generous nature. His children shared stories of how their dad had always chaperoned every school dance and the horribly embarrassing dance moves he always tried to pull on the dance floor. Cooper shared stories from when they were younger that Kurt knew were mostly were exaggeration, but it was nice to hear Cooper remember Blaine so fondly.

By the end of the night, Kurt's cheeks actually hurt from smiling and laughing so much. For a few days there, Kurt had been sure he wouldn't do either again.

He hugged Finn and Juliet good-bye, sending kisses to his niece with them; Phillip didn't want to leave but he needed to get home to his wife and sick son. Then it was just Kurt and Elizabeth; her husband had left a few hours ago to get their daughter to bed. There was no more laughter, no more music. It was strange to hear the house so silent. Blaine had always had the TV on or was tinkling on the piano. Kurt walked over to the baby grand in the corner of the living room and picked at a few keys.

"Dad?"

He looked up to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway. Her long hair was finally let down out of its bun and her high heels discarded somewhere in the house. She looked so much like Blaine that it hurt a little to look at her.

"Hey, sweet pea," Kurt replied.

"Da-ad," she drawled. "I'm a little old to still be your little sweet pea."

"Never," he said, pulling her into a hug.

"You doing okay?" she asked, her head still tucked against his chest.

"No," he said honestly. He really didn't think he would ever be okay again. Sure, he might eventually get to the point where he could get by from day to day, but to even be okay seemed like a really tall order.

"Why don't you come stay with me and Steven in Sacramento for a few weeks? Elia misses you like crazy. She asks about you almost every day."

"You know what? That sounds like a great idea. It's been far too long since I've subjected my little granddaughter to the tickle monster."

"She'll love it."

* * *

There was one last thing Kurt needed to do before he could head out to Sacramento. As soon as Blaine found out he was sick, he made sure to visit their lawyer in New York to make sure everything was in order. All that was left was for Kurt to visit for the official reading of the will and to settle the last of Blaine's estate. 

As expected, a large amount of Blaine's financial wealth was left to their favorite charities. The rest was divided into trusts for their grandchildren to use for college or however they wished. Kurt was given full possession of the house in Ohio and all future royalties on Blaine's music.

"There are also these," Mr. Ryder said, holding out three letters. "Mr. Anderson-Hummel left instructions that these were to be given to you and your children upon his passing. He also asked that you… 'visit our favorite spot in Central Park to remember the good times,'" he read from the will.

Kurt reached out and took the letters. They were thick and the envelopes were heavy and well crafted. Kurt was anxious and also wary of reading what Blaine had written. Knowing Blaine as well as he did, Kurt was sure the letter would somehow manage to make him both laugh and cry at the same time. Instead of waiting and walking around with the letter burning a hole in his pocket, Kurt immediately made his way to Central Park after leaving the lawyer's office and took a seat on their favorite bench near the Alice sculptures.

He started to read.

As expected, the first page soon became dotted with tears as Blaine recalled their wedding and the births of their children. Then, he laughed as he read about their first years in New York and how overwhelmed they were with everything. There was the one time Blaine almost burned down their apartment trying to bake cookies for Kurt's birthday. Rachel never let him live that one down and still mocked Blaine about it to this day.

_You used to say that I saved you back when we met in high school. I think you saved me, too, Kurt. I was so good at hiding everything back then, but somehow, you were able to see past all that to the real me. You'll never know how grateful I am for you._

_Now, my Kurt, I have one last request for you – Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened._

_I will love you forever and into what comes after._

_Yours,  
Blaine_

* * *

Three years later, Kurt joined his husband in Woodlawn Cemetery. It was just a few days after his seventieth birthday. Though he was in excellent health, no one was terribly surprised by his passing.

After all, how long can a person truly live with only half a heart?

* * *

**10**

_Blaine Anderson is sixteen and in love._

"You move me, Kurt," he said.

It was the most honest thing Blaine could have said. From the day they had met on the staircase, Kurt had been constantly challenging Blaine and pushing him to be a better person. He wouldn't let Blaine be content with the status quo of the Warblers. He always pushed back when he didn't agree with something Blaine said. He joked with Blaine, he debated, he was the one person Blaine was the most honest with. He told Kurt things he hadn't told his parents or even some of the Warblers who he had been friends with for years.

Blaine wasn't sure why he resisted so long. Well, he knew, but it wasn't something he liked to think about. He'd gotten close to admitting it on Valentine's Day after the Jeremiah fiasco, but he still just wasn't quite ready. He'd barely known Kurt for five months and he was already one of the most important people in Blaine's life. If they took the step that Blaine knew Kurt wanted to take, it would have ended disastrously. He couldn't hurt Kurt like that.

So, Blaine waited and took his time and made sure he was on a path to being a better person, the kind of person that Kurt could be proud to be with.

That moment when he found Kurt in the common room, delicately decorating Pavarotti's tiny casket, he almost backed down. Somehow, intruding on the funeral preparations to admit his feelings for Kurt struck him as a little uncouth. At the same time, though, it brought into focus the fragility of life and how important it was to make the most of every moment.

So, he told Kurt everything. It wasn't the speech he had rehearsed for the last hour, but Kurt deserved true honesty. For the first time in a long time, Blaine shut off his brain and spoke from his heart.

When he was done with his speech, he looked at Kurt, _really_ looked and what he saw broke his heart a little. Kurt didn't believe him. Or didn't want to believe him. Once again, Blaine let his instincts take over and finally gave in to the desire he'd kept buried since that cold day on the steps at McKinley and kissed Kurt. There were no sparks or fireworks or choirs of singing angels. It felt like _home_. Kurt's lips were warm and soft and when he reached up to tilt Blaine's head to a better angle, Blaine's knees went weak.

The kiss flustered Blaine more than he wanted to admit. He cheeks were red and he couldn't stop smiling. He wanted to kiss Kurt again, but he knew they really did need to get to rehearsing their duet. There was only a week to go until the competition and New Directions had proven to be a worthy opponent. But, Kurt's invitation to continue kissing was far too tempting, and, really, five more minutes couldn't hurt.

But five minutes quickly turned into ten, then twenty, then thirty. They only broke out of their stupor at the sound of Kurt's phone ringing with a message from his dad to pick up milk on his way home.

They straightened out their clothes and hair before Blaine walked Kurt out to his car. The hour was late enough that the school was empty and no one was there to catch them with their fingers tangled and matching grins on their faces.

"So," Kurt said once they reached his car.

"I was thinking," Blaine started.

"Always dangerous," Kurt interjected.

Blaine swatted playfully at his arm and he loved that Kurt would still tease him like that. That even though they were now _KurtAndBlaine_ , they were still also just Kurt and Blaine. 

"As I was saying – I was thinking you, me, Friday night, that little Greek place you love, and maybe the new Matt Damon movie. What do you say?"

"I say, you've got yourself a date, Mr. Anderson."

"I can't wait, Mr. Hummel."

The smile on Kurt's face was enough to make Blaine's heart skip a beat. He couldn't resist leaning in and stealing another kiss. Kurt sighed and draped his arms over Blaine's shoulders, Blaine immediately wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist in response. Blaine went to press up into the kiss a little and ended up knocking them off balance and into Kurt's car. It triggered the alarm and they pulled away, laughing.

"I think that's my cue," Kurt said.

"I think so," Blaine agreed. 

"I'll call you later?"

"You better."

Kurt nodded and turned to unlock his car. He opened the door and dropped his bag onto the passenger seat. He was about to get in himself, but he had to kiss Blaine just one more time, now that he could. So, he did. It was just a brief peck, but just the fact that he _could_ made Kurt infinitely happy.

* * *

Blaine bounded up to his room from the parking lot, a smile beaming on his face and a spring in his step. He was about two seconds away from breaking out in song, he was so happy. He hummed a few bars of Katy Perry when he just couldn't resist any longer.

"Well, looks like someone had a good rehearsal," Wes said as he spotted Blaine.

"Something like that," Blaine replied as he unlocked his door.

"Blaine?"

"He's amazing, Wes. He's amazing and I just… I told him. I couldn't hold it back anymore and he kissed me back."

"You kissed him?" Wes exclaimed. 

Blaine nodded excitedly.

"That's, wow. That's huge, Blaine. I didn't realize you felt that strongly about him."

"I didn't either," Blaine admitted, sitting down on his bed. "And then he sang that song and it was just so honest and pure and it hit me in the gut that he was what, _who_ , I've been looking for. He sees _me_ , Wes. All of me. He's seen me at my worst and he still likes me."

"That's great, Blaine," Wes said. "I'm very happy for you. It's about time."

"Thanks, Wes."

"See you at rehearsal tomorrow."

Blaine fell back on his pillow, loosening his tie as Wes left. He couldn't help the smile he let out as he thought about Kurt. Wonderful and beautiful, amazingly talented Kurt. Kurt who had kissed him like he'd been starved for it. Blaine brought his fingers to his lips, which he swore were still tingling from the impromptu make-out session on the senior commons' couch.

Eventually, Blaine sat up, figuring he should get started on his homework at some point. He was digging through his bag for his history textbook when his phone rang.

"Hi," Blaine sighed, happily as he answered.

"Hi," Kurt replied.

Blaine couldn't help but notice that Kurt didn't sound as happy as he did. Had Blaine done something wrong? "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I, yeah, I think so," Kurt said. "I just… Are we boyfriends?"

"Boyfriends?"

"Oh, god. Forget I asked that. That's so stupid. Of course we're not, that would be ridiculous," Kurt rambled.

"Kurt. Kurt! Calm down," Blaine interrupted.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said.

"Don't apologize. Why are you asking?"

"I guess I just want to know what we are?" Kurt said hesitantly. "You know I've never even dated anyone and I wasn't sure what all that happened today meant."

"Kurt," Blaine said. "I would be honored to be your boyfriend."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Okay," Kurt said and this time Blaine could hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay," Blaine agreed. "Good."

"Okay," Kurt said again with a laugh. "I, um, I need to go get dinner ready, but I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely. We have to get in that practicing we didn't get to today."

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea."

"Good night, Kurt."

"Good night, Blaine."

* * *

Friday evening, Blaine rang Kurt's doorbell just before six. He reached up to check his hair was in place and took a steadying breath. He and Burt were on friendly enough terms, but he wasn't dating Kurt before. Would anything change?

"I'm not ready!" Kurt yelled as he rushed around upstairs. "Dad, be nice!"

"Yeah, yeah," Burt muttered as he went to open the door. "Hi, Blaine. Come on in. Kurt's not quite ready yet."

"Thanks, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said. He smoothed down his hair again as he stepped into the living room to wait. He was suddenly extremely nervous about this evening. Was he dressed okay? Were the polo shirt and cardigan too casual for a date? Were the flowers too much? What would Kurt expect from him?

"Now, Blaine," Burt continued. "You know I like you. I think you're a good kid, but there's something I need to know now that you're dating my son. A few months ago you told me that I needed to have a _talk_ with Kurt. What exactly are your intentions here?"

Blaine swallowed harshly. He knew he'd overstepped his bounds that day in the garage, but he really did have Kurt's best interest at heart.

"Mr. Hummel," Blaine said, "I promise you that I have nothing but the purest of intentions with Kurt. And I promise that I will never pressure Kurt into doing anything he doesn't want to do. I know we're both young, but Kurt is very special to me and… I want to do this right."

"Well, good," Burt said. "That's good."

"Hi."

Blaine looked up to see Kurt coming down the stairs, dressed impeccably as always. He was wearing skin-tight dark blue jeans, a white button down shirt with a high, asymmetrical collar, and a shawl-collared blue and white striped sweater that looked very warm and snuggle worthy. The look was finished with Kurt's white Doc Marten boots. It was simpler than most of Kurt's outfits, but it was nonetheless stunning.

"Hi," Blaine said quietly.

"Are those for me?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked down and remembered the bouquet of flowers he was holding. Just simple white and yellow daisies with some greenery.

"Um, yes. They are. For you," Blaine stumbled, holding the flowers out to Kurt.

"Daisies are my favorite flower, actually. They were my mom's favorite, too," Kurt said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Blaine replied, smiling.

"Let me just put these in water and then we can go."

Blaine stared after Kurt as he went to the kitchen to find a vase. He was just so-

"You've got it bad, don't you?" Burt said, interrupting Blaine's reverie.

"I, yeah," Blaine admitted, blushing furiously.

"Good. I'm glad. Kurt's been lonely, you know."

Blaine nodded.

"Just make sure you treat him right."

"I will," Blaine said.

"Have a good time tonight," Burt said as Kurt came back into the living room. "Curfew is-"

"11:00. I know," Kurt finished.

"I will have Kurt home in plenty of time," Blaine promised.

"Maybe not _plenty_ of time," Kurt said. "It is my first date after all."

"Yes. And if you want a second one, you will be home by 11:00," Burt said. "And by home, I mean in this house, alone, with Blaine driving away."

"Understood," Blaine replied. "But we should get going if we want to have enough time for dinner."

"Night, Dad!" Kurt called, hastily pulling on his coat as he grabbed Blaine's hand and tugged him out the door. 

Blaine barely had time to wave before the door was shut and they were in Blaine's car.

"Sorry about him," Kurt said.

"It's completely fine," Blaine assured him. "He just cares about you. That's a good thing."

"I know," Kurt said, a fond smile on his face. "You should have seen him though when I first told him you were taking me out on a date," he added with a laugh. "I seriously thought the vein on his forehead was going to burst. Luckily, Carole was there to calm him down and it was fine. He really does like you, Blaine, despite the circumstances in which you were last at my house."

"Oh god," Blaine groaned as Kurt laughed. Blaine really wished he could just redo that whole weekend all over again. It was not one of his finer moments.

Dinner continued in much the same manner with the teasing and joking and doing all the things best friends do. Conversation had always been easy between them and Blaine was very glad that hadn't changed. Well, now he could discreetly hold Kurt's hand under the table if he wanted. That was new. And amazing. He even managed to get Kurt to order some baklava for dessert. Watching Kurt lick the honey off his lips and fingers was definitely an exercise in restraint. Maybe dessert hadn't been such a good idea, after all.

The movie was excellent, though. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt were two of his favorite actors and the story seemed well-fitted to a first date. At least, what Blaine saw of the movie gave him that impression. He couldn't stop looking at Kurt and marveling that he was actually here. That they were dating. That they were boyfriends.

The movie ended a little after ten and Blaine pulled his car into Kurt's driveway just after 10:30. He shut off the engine and then turned to look at Kurt. Should he walk Kurt to the door? Did Kurt want to just sit and talk?

"Blaine?"

"Yeah?" Blaine asked turning to look at Kurt.

"Stop thinking so much," he replied with a smile, reaching out to cup Blaine's cheek in his palm. He unfastened his seatbelt and slid closer to Blaine, fitting their lips together in a gentle kiss.

Blaine moaned and tilted his head just so to get a better angle. He reached up, grasping Kurt's forearm as the kiss deepened. After a minute or so, Kurt pulled back and Blaine went to follow, being stopped and almost strangled by the seatbelt that still held him strapped down.

Kurt laughed and reached over to help Blaine undo the belt before their lips met once more in a passionate kiss. Feeling emboldened by how well the evening had gone, Blaine gently swept his tongue across Kurt's bottom lip. Kurt gasped slightly at the sensation, allowing Blaine's tongue to slide inside. Kurt deepened the kiss, pushing back against Blaine and resting a hand on his thigh to steady himself. 

Blaine's head was swimming. He was completely surrounded by Kurt. The feel and smell of him in the close quarters of his car was overwhelming. He would swear he could still taste the honey from the baklava on Kurt's tongue. He pulled back a bit, sliding his lips along Kurt's jaw to his neck. Kurt tilted his head, giving Blaine more room to work around the high collar of shirt. Kurt was… amazing. He felt himself falling and falling fast. He was tumbling, head first, into a crushing sea of emotion. Dating Kurt Hummel was certainly nothing like Blaine had expected. 

But he couldn't wait to find out where they went.

THE END


End file.
